One Step Farther
by HPfanonezillion
Summary: Rose tells Adrian some news he wasn't expecting. Sydney and Jill are around to help him cope and come to terms of his moment of stupidity and male hormones that helped bring them into this situation. And through it, he and Sydney grow closer. Adrian and Rose rekindle their friendship along the way as well. Starts Just after The Golden Lily and moves on through there.
1. Chapter 1

_Happy reading!_

* * *

One Step Farther

A Bloodlines Fanfiction

By Danielle Cheri

Chapter One

"Adrian? Hello? Are you there?" Rose asked anxiously.

"This isn't some sort of fucked up dream or something, is it?" He asked, his throat tight with fear.

"You don't know how much I wish it was." She said softly.

He sighed. "A baby."

"Yeah."

He hesitated. "What does Dimitri think?"

"He's surprisingly happy about it. He was the one who convinced me that you deserved to know sooner rather than later. Reminded me that you will see me at the wedding. I'm not very small anymore."

He took a deep breath. "What do you need me to do?"

"Keep Jill safe. I'll handle it. I have been. I'll send you updates, pictures if you want. Just stay where you are. We'll be fine. I had an ultrasound recently. I can scan the pictures and send them to you."

He nodded and then remembered he was talking to her on the phone. "Okay."

"Do you want to know what it is or be surprised?"

"You already know?"

"Dimitri does. I said I wasn't sure either."

"Then maybe we should both think on it for a while."

"Sounds good." She paused. "You don't know how sorry I am, Adrian."

"Me too, Rose. But I'm still not entirely over it. And the fact that you kept this from me—"

"Please, let's not fight about that. I know it was wrong. I never could find the words…"

"'Adrian, we're having a baby.'" He said snidely with a touch of real anger.

"Well, now you know. Please don't be mad at me."

"It's just a lot to take in."

"I know. And again I'm sorry."

As soon as the call ended, Adrian immediately called another number.

"Adrian?" Her voice was tentative.

"Hey, Sage." He tried to speak lightly, but it was forced.

Sydney was on alert. "Is something wrong?"

Adrian let out a shaky breath. "Can you come over?"

"I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Never mind. Forget I asked." He went to hang up his phone.

"Wait." She called.

He put the phone back to his ear. "Yeah?"

"I'll be right over."

* * *

"Oh, wow." Sydney breathed.

"I expected something more articulate out of you." Adrian accused.

"Yeah, well, I'm all out." She looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know." He stood and started pacing. A cigarette was quickly produced.

"Are you _going_ to be okay?"

"I don't know that either. I mean, being a dad would be cool. But in the future. And maybe with a girl who didn't run right back to the guy she really loved not long after the conception." He took a long pull from the cigarette. He blew out a long stream of smoke. "What am I supposed to do, Sydney?"

"Stop the pacing first of all. You're making me dizzy."

He paused and turned to her.

"Relax. You don't have to do a whole lot right now except help keep Jill safe. Keep yourself sane. Rose is the one who's pregnant. She knows what's at stake here. And she knows how to handle herself under normal circumstances."

"She's in her fourth month."

"Well, that makes sense. Otherwise you'd both have a lot of explaining to do."

He smiled crookedly. "She said she'd keep me updated."

"Good. That's important."

His smile dropped. "He knew."

"Who knew what?"

"Dimitri. When he was here. That bastard knew." He stubbed out his cigarette angrily in the ash tray.

"For some reason, Rose didn't want you to know. But you do now."

A rueful smile crossed his face, "Yeah, I do. And I plan on being a better dad than my own. I don't care if it's to a dhampir. That's my kid. I helped make it. I'll help raise it."

She gave him a kind smile. "That's a good plan."

"You're still not sure about all this." It was a statement, not a question.

"I'm getting better with it. And I've got my own magic to deal with now."

"Sage, I—"

"Don't. Just don't."

"Thank you for coming." He lit another cigarette. "That's what I was going to say." He blew out a stream of smoke.

"I'm supposed to help with all this."

"Not with an unexpected pregnancy. Unless it was Jill's. And that would be a horrible disaster."

Adrian smiled and rested his hand on top of Sydney's a moment. She sat as still as a statue. He squeezed and then stood and resumed his pacing.

"I know you've got a lot to do before Thanksgiving break."

"I've got all my homework done. I've just got a few things Miss Terwilliger wants me to do."

"She should let you take a break." He said, his voice full of concern.

"She should. But she wants me to stretch my abilities. I'm mostly just making charms." She sighed and sat back on the couch. "I hate it." She didn't know why she was so relaxed. Maybe it was because Adrian was going through such a tough time that he wasn't flirting with her.

"I think it's a useful skill to have." He said softly. "But I know it makes you uncomfortable." He sat down again and put out the cigarette. He leaned slightly toward her.

"Don't try to kiss me."

"I wasn't going to." But he backed away from her anyway.

"There's just so much... I don't want..."

"It's fine, Sage. I understand. I'm even more messed up now, right?"

She leaned forward. "It's not about being messed up. You just found out you're going to be a dad. You're barely 22. This wasn't something you expected or wanted right now. But here it is."

Sydney put her hand on his arm. "Let's not cloud that with whatever mess is going on with us right now."

"You don't want me anyway." He said softly, his voice full of hurt.

She sat back once more. "I _can't_ want you. There's a difference. But I want to be your friend in this."

"I'll gladly take that. Thank you."

They sat awkwardly in silence for a while.

Sydney stood and made her way toward the door. "I'll see you Thursday."

"Sydney." He said softly.

She turned.

"I appreciate you coming. But think of today as a reprieve. I love you and I want you. And I will do everything I can to win you over."

"You already have." She smiled sadly. "But you and I both know we won't work." She left without another word.

* * *

Sydney let herself into her room and collapsed across the bed. She was just about to get up and get ready to go down for dinner when there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" She called.

"Jill." The young Moroi princess called softly.

Sydney got up and opened the door.

Jill came in and sat down on the bed. She put her face in her hands. "He's really torn up about this."

"I could tell. He smoked four cigarettes and I was only there a half hour." She sat down beside Jill. "How are you?"

She looked up and Sydney could see the pain in her eyes, but also a little relief. "I think it's what they need. To bring them together. To fix it. I feel everything he feels for Rose and it hurts. I just want it to stop. I want this to help make it stop. I hate this constant ache. I can't concentrate on anything, especially when it's this strong. He's mad that she kept it from him for so long."

"Yeah, that wasn't very considerate." Sydney sighed. "She had to have a reason."

"Excuses. That's all it is. She said he was scared he wouldn't want to be there for her. That he was too mad about what she did with Dimitri. But it's not true."

"I know it isn't. He really does want this baby. That's what he told me."

"He doesn't love her anymore." Jill said suddenly.

A ghost of a smile played on Sydney's lips. "I know that. He'd head-over-heels for me."

Jill grinned. "I thought you didn't like that."

"I'm starting to accept it. Like with the magic. I don't want to, but it's there." She got up. "Let's go down and get something to eat."

Jill looked pained. "I'd rather not. Do you think we could go out?"

Sydney smiled. "I'd like that. Do you want to call Adrian?"

"No, just us. If that's okay."

"That's perfectly fine." She gathered her purse and walked toward the door.

Jill always reminded Sydney a little of her sister Zoe. Maybe it was just the bit of uncertainty mixed with the need to be useful. She and Jill checked out at the front desk and drove to the closest restaurant to campus.

"I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving." Jill said as they sat down.

"You've got it all planned out, don't you?" Sydney teased.

"Of course." She chuckled. "The turkey is ready to go in the oven. I've assigned all the other dishes to those attending with a stove. The rest we can cook there."

"This should be fun. I hope, anyway." Sydney picked at her salad.

"Me too. So much is going on with us all. And now Angeline and Eddie…" Her smile faded. "Just try not to fight with Adrian."

"We won't fight. I promise."

Jill's smile returned. "Good." Her face changed a little. Sydney could tell she was seeing something from Adrian.

"What?"

"Nothing." She said quickly and dropped her head.

Sydney's phone buzzed with a text.

"_She sent me an ultrasound pic. Want to see?_"

"You saw the picture?" Sydney asked as she typed out the reply. "_Are you sure?_"

"Yeah. It's pretty cool. I've never seen one."

"_Of course._" Then he sent along the email containing the picture. "_Isn't she beautiful?_"

"_She?_"

"He wants to name her Lorelei." Jill said, shaking her head.

"That's pretty."

"It's from a song. And not a very good one." She had her own phone out and began texting.

"_Yes, she._" Adrian replied.

Sydney smiled and replied, "_So everything is okay?_"

"_Getting there. Come over?_"

"_I'm with Jill. And I said it wasn't happening._"

"_Bring Jill. Nothing will happen._"

"Can we?" Jill asked, looking at Sydney uncertainly.

"We still have plenty of time until curfew." Sydney said and started gathering her things. "_On our way._"

* * *

_Author's note: I would like to point out the song Lorelei by Styx is a fun little song and you should all check it out. Other than that, please feel free to review and let me know what you think. I'm not sure how long this will be just yet._

_I would like to extend my thanks to my best friend Lacey (actresswithoutastage) for helping with the title. I was lamenting that I needed a title and she gave One Step Farther as suggestion. She's my usual titlesmith as I am dismal at them. Go read her stuff, too. She makes up all her own titles. _:) _And she's a goo writer to boot!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: I hope you like the decisions I have made for these characters. I'm trying to keep them in character while altering a few things. If that makes sense. Well, read it and let me know what you think._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Two

Sydney followed Adrian out the door. He had already lit a cigarette and was puffing away.

"You know that's not good for you." She leaned against the wall beside him.

"I know." He blew out a long stream of smoke.

"It won't be good for the baby, either."

He flicked ashes away and didn't say anything.

"So you're not going to tell them?"

"Rose and I decided it wouldn't be safe for anyone to know here. Well mostly Angeline and those outside our group. She wants Eddie to know. But he's had all the training and knows not to say anything if he's ever captured." He took a long drag of the cigarette and then dropped the rest on the ground. He stepped on it. "Here." He took the pack from his pocket. "That was my third today. Don't let me have any more."

Sydney took it. "Smart move."

"Do I get a reward?" He smirked.

She considered him a moment and then pushed herself up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks." Adrian said softly, his eyes full of admiration.

Jill poked her head out the door. "Come on, we just took the turkey out of the oven." She went back inside.

Sydney shoved the pack of cigarettes into her pocket as she moved to follow. Adrian tried to take her hand and she slapped him away. "No."

"Sorry." He said softly.

They all ate their fill. Even Sydney put a decent amount away. Adrian smiled gratefully at her across the table. She averted her eyes. She was already calculating all the calories and how much she'd have to cut back on and how long to make up for it.

After they finished eating, Adrian and Eddie were recruited to wash the dishes while the others, who had worked to put the meal together, relaxed in the other room.

"I have something to tell you." Adrian said after a while.

"That sounds ominous." Eddie handed him a plate and reached for another.

"Rose—well, Rose and I—we're having a baby. And she thought you should know."

"Oh. Wow. That's big." Eddie said.

"Yeah. Sydney and Jill know, but no one else. And it has to stay that way. Okay? This stays between us."

"Not even Angeline?"

"Especially not Angeline. I know you like her and everything, but she's untrained and there's no telling what anyone would do with the information at this point. At least that's what Rose thinks and I agree with her."

Eddie nodded. "Understood."

"It's nothing to be grim about." Adrian sent his friend a proud smile. "It's frightening. But in a really good way. And I hope you can be happy about it."

He didn't say anything for a while, just passed Adrian the dishes as he washed them. Finally he said, "I thought you two were smarter than that."

"What?"

Eddie sighed. "You and Rose. Didn't you use your brains? You know what happens. You obviously didn't use any sort of protection."

"I know how stupid it was. But you've obviously never been so into someone that all those thoughts kind of just go out the window. That's how it was. We both knew. We were in Rose's room. She's not the kind of girl who needs that sort of thing. It all just happened."

Eddie shook his head. "If you want to be happy about this, then fine. Be happy. But I'm not." He lapsed into silence.

Jill came into the room a moment later and pulled Eddie outside.

"What?" He asked as soon as the front door closed behind them.

"You need to support him." She told him with a steely gaze.

"Why?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the house.

"Because he knows how idiotic it was. He doesn't need you putting him down. Rose is your friend. She's been your friend for a long time. Talk to her."

He looked down at his feet and then back up. "I know that you're in his head and you want what he wants, but I'm not. And I don't want to think about this right now." He started to walk away.

Jill grabbed his arm. "It's happening, Eddie. They've accepted it. And you don't have to be part of it. They could have just left you out of it, for you to find out later, but they didn't. Don't be a jerk about it." She let go and went back into the house.

Jill sat down beside Adrian in the living room. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close for a moment and then let her go. He looked across the room at Sydney.

Jill could feel his longing for her passing through the bond. She poked his side and whispered, "Cut it out."

He smiled. He leaned close and whispered back, "I'm trying."

* * *

Jill convinced Sydney to bring her to see Adrian as much as possible the following week. She got him to buy her a sewing machine and she practiced her sewing by making a few small outfits for the baby. Adrian appreciated it, even if the seams were a little off and the hems uneven.

"They're really cute, Jill. Thank you." Adrian said. He hugged his friend.

Sydney looked on from the kitchen table. She had brought homework with her to pass the time while the two Moroi spent time together. She liked coming over to Adrian's apartment to study. It was quiet, relaxing. Even if he kept sending amorous looks her way.

His phone rang and Jill walked back to the sewing machine to work on another outfit she'd started.

"Eddie did what?" Adrian said, his shoulders tensing.

Sydney watched with concern. She listened in on Adrian's side of the conversation.

"He told me that too…Yeah, I know, Rose…You're not stupid. We just did something that wasn't very smart…" His voice softened. "Well, I'm kind of looking forward to meeting the result of our stupidity…Dimitri will tell you the same thing. And he matters more, right?…Could I, maybe, talk to her?…Yeah, I know it sounds cheesy…Oh, I bet he does. Is he teaching my baby Russian?…Sure it's cute." That last was said with a small bit of disdain. When he spoke next, it was even softer than before. "Hello in there. I can't wait to meet you. You've got a lot of people anxious for that, you know?" He looked up and caught Sydney's gaze. "And I hope you're as adorable as me so that I can catch a beautiful woman's eye." He winked.

Sydney blushed and finally looked away.

"I love you, baby girl." He whispered. He spoke at a normal volume. "Thank you. Bye, Rose." He sat quietly for a moment. He walked toward the kitchen and sat beside Sydney at the table.

"You're kind of cute." Sydney admitted reluctantly.

"I'm more than cute." He smirked.

"Only when it comes to the baby." She put her pen down and sat back, trying to put distance between them. "You don't like the idea of Dimitri being around her." She stated.

He watched her for a moment and then said, "Not really."

"Why not?" She asked softly.

"It's _my_ baby. Not his. I don't want him to pretend—"

"I think he knows, Adrian. We all know that two dhampirs together can't make a baby."

"But he's her boyfriend, Sage. The love of her life. They live together. He will be there raising my kid every day."

"Then maybe all three of you need to get together and figure out how it's going to work."

"We're in hiding indefinitely." Adrian pointed out. "I can't do much of anything."

"But you want a hand in it."

He nodded.

"I'm sure Rose wants that for you. You need to lay it all out. And Dimitri _is_ going to be part of her life, so he needs to know what you're expecting. You need to work it out between you."

"You're right."

"Of course I am."

"Maybe when we go for the wedding."

The sewing machine came to a sudden halt. "Please don't talk about the wedding when I'm around."

Adrian turned. "I really wish you could go, kid. I mean it. But we all know it's not safe."

"Just don't talk about it, okay?" She snapped and then went back to work, the machine whirring even more loudly than before.

"Will you be there with me if I set up a little meeting?" He asked nervously.

"I'm staying at a different hotel with two other Alchemists. And we're leaving the morning after the wedding. I don't know if I can sneak away."

"Well, the wedding is at night. Maybe we can arrange something for the daytime."

"It would be too risky, Adrian. I wish I could, but I'm already risking enough as it is." She looked down at the book she was translating.

"Is that for Jackie?" He asked.

"It's so weird that you call her that."

"She told me I could." He smirked.

She nodded. "Yes, it is. For Ms. Terwilliger."

"I still don't understand why it freaks you out so much."

"Because it's unnatural." She argued.

"You're getting your magic from the world around you. It's what _we_ do." He reasoned.

"Yes, you're bending nature to your will, not letting it just exist on its own." She smiled. "I understand that what you do is something born in you, that you don't ask for it. But I don't like to do this. And if all of this ended tomorrow, I'd walk away."

"Even after how it's helped you stay alive?"

She observed at him a moment before she answered, "Even then."

"But you're so good at it." He reached out and placed a hand on top of hers. "And I'd hate for anything to happen to you when you can so easily defend yourself."

"That's why we took the classes with Wolf." She pointed out.

He nodded and then looked down at his phone. "You guys need to go."

Sydney leaned closer. "Should I say something to Eddie?"

His breath caught at how close she was suddenly. "No, don't. Just let him come around." He patted her hand and then kissed her cheek.

"Adrian." She warned.

"It was a friendly kiss." He grinned.

She gave him a contemptible look and gathered her books. "Come on, Jill, we don't need to get in trouble."

Jill finished a stitch and gave the new outfit to Adrian. "I still have to sew snaps into this one. I'll finish it tomorrow." She hugged him and then got the last of her things and left the apartment before Sydney.

Adrian grabbed her hand and declared dramatically, "Sydney, if there were ever anything I could do—"

"Please stop this, Adrian." She said softly. "There's too much going on."

"I just need a friend."

"Exactly. And you have one. So turn of the charm." She squeezed his hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He tugged her close before she had a chance to break away. "It's not going to be that easy." He covered her mouth with his and kissed her fiercely.

Sydney didn't fight it. In fact, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and opened her mouth to participate in the kiss. She sighed and broke it after only a moment. "What can I do to make you stop this?"

He grinned. "Don't come over to my place every night with your books. It makes you even sexier. It makes me want you more."

"You are infuriating." She groaned.

He growled, "So are you." He kissed her again and then let her go. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She sighed. "Tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note: Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. It means a lot. Keep it coming._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Three

Adrian had just plopped down on the bed of the hotel when the phone rang. He stared at it a moment before he answered with a tentative, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Rose." She said awkwardly.

He smirked, "Did you request to be told when I arrived?"

"No. But Dimitri saw you walk up and told me. I wanted to see if I could see you."

"Is Dimitri on duty?"

"No, why?"

He took a deep breath. "I'd like to talk with the both of you. About this whole situation."

"Sure. That sounds like a good idea. I'd considered it myself, but I didn't want to push you too much."

"It's my baby, Rose." He said softly.

"We're just down the hall from you." She told him the room number.

"When do you want to meet, then?"

"Are you up for now?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, sure." He picked up his cell and sent Sydney a text, "_Wish you could be here. Going to see Rose._"

"Then I'll see you in a couple minutes." She hung up.

Adrian stood and took a few deep breaths. His phone buzzed.

"_I could try to get away if you need me there._"

"_Don't risk it, Sage. But I may call when it's all over._"

"_I'll be here._"

He stood in front of the appropriate door and clenched his fist at his side. He raised his hand and then dropped it. "I can do this." He finally knocked.

Rose opened the door and stood looking at him expectantly.

"You look great." He said, looking her up and down.

She smiled and rested a hand on her stomach. "Thanks. I'm surprised my bridesmaid dress fits." She stepped back and motioned for him to come inside.

"Hi." Adrian said, nodding to Dimitri where he stood just a few feet away.

"Adrian." The guardian said in greeting.

Adrian turned to Rose again. "You're not very big."

"No. Just about four and a half months. I didn't really start to show until recently."

"So everyone knows?" He took a seat at the desk in the corner of the room when the guardian couple both sat on the bed.

"Not everyone. But it's going to be pretty obvious at the wedding tomorrow."

"What does Lissa think?" He leaned forward.

"After she berated me for being so irresponsible, she told me she thought it was pretty cool."

"And your mother?"

"She supports me. After all, it's what we're supposed to do." She took Dimitri's offered hand. "Abe wasn't too happy about it for a while. But he's come around."

"Eddie's still upset." Adrian said softly.

She gave him an imploring look. "Are you?"

"I was angry with myself. But I'm not angry with you or with her existence. This is probably the best thing…" He smiled. "That's going to be one cute kid, you know."

She smiled and nodded. "With a great sense of humor and a very large appreciation of music."

He laughed. "That's true."

Dimitri spoke up. "I don't want you to think that I'll be taking her away from you."

Adrian looked to the dhampir. "Did you read my mind or something?"

"No, but I figure that would be a thought you had. Rose and I are together. It's a pretty sure thing. I will be there for the child and I hope to be _a_ father to her, but you are the one that created her. You are her father more than I will be."

"Thank you." He looked to Rose. "Are you going to send her away?"

"No, definitely not. I want her close. Since we're at Court, she'll be taught and trained there. I'll get to see her every day unless I'm given an assignment elsewhere or Lissa makes a goodwill trip. But I plan on being close and staying that way."

"And what about me?" Adrian asked, his voice kind of thick at the thought of not seeing his daughter.

"You can see her whenever you want. And once everything is safe with Jill, I hope you can come back. And we can work on it more when this is all over."

"It may be a while."

"I know. I'm not looking forward to it. She needs to know her dad. I want her to. It's not right that so many of us don't know our Moroi parent. Or if we do that they only exist to create more dhampirs or just show their dominance over us. But you're not like that. She deserves it and so do you."

"I want to be in on everything, every major decision."

"You will be." She said adamantly.

"And when it comes to rules, we should make them all together. I don't want her to be with me and she gets to do something that you wouldn't approve of or the other way around."

"I completely agree."

Dimitri nodded beside Rose.

Adrian took a deep breath and said, "I want everyone to know she's mine."

"By giving her your last name?" Rose asked gently.

"I just want it in there somewhere. She can ultimately be a Hathaway, but I would prefer if she wasn't a Belikov." He looked to Dimitri. "I don't mean any offense, but—"

"I understand completely." Dimitri said. "We usually give the dhampir children the dhampir parent's name. I am not this child's parent and I wouldn't expect to have that privilege."

"I think she can have the Ivashkov last name as long as your father and the rest of your family won't be upset by it."

"I don't care if they're upset by it. That's my child, not theirs. I only care what _you_ think about it." He watched her a moment.

"I wouldn't mind it. But let me think about it for a while."

Adrian nodded.

Rose stood. "I have something for you." She took something off the nightstand and handed it to Adrian. "Your own copy to show off to Jill. Stick it on your fridge or something."

He looked down at the ultrasound printout. "That's her?"

"That's her."

He looked up at her and then at her stomach, protruding only a little.

She took his hand and placed his palm on her belly. "A lot of people keep asking. I don't know why strangers want to touch me. But you don't have to ask. You never do. This is your baby, Adrian."

"I'm sorry." He looked up. "Rose, I'm so sorry. We should have stopped—"

"But we didn't. There's no reason to worry about the past. This is now. This happened. This is our future. If you ever change your mind, I understand."

He looked at her stomach again, lifting his other hand to rest on the other side. "I wouldn't be a very good person if I ran away from this. I'm ashamed of all the Moroi that run or only show up to make them and then disappear. There's so much more. I didn't want to father a child. That wasn't what it was about. And I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I didn't break away from the stereotype." He looked up at her. "I want to step up and be the dad this kid deserves. I want to be better than…"

"Than mine? Than Dimitri's? I want that too. And I plan on being a better mother than my own."

Adrian looked at her stomach once more. He leaned forward and pressed a tentative kiss there. He whispered, "I promise to do my best by you." He rested his forehead against her a moment and then sat back. He dropped his hands. "If you need anything, just tell me. I'll buy the crib and the car seats and—"

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you. You don't have to pay for everything. I don't want you to think that."

"No, I don't want to show my affection by throwing my money around. But I do want to provide for her. I'll even pay child support if you want."

Rose smiled and returned to her seat beside Dimitri. "You don't have to. But thank you."

"I want to help."

"I know."

He thought for a moment and then said, "I'll set up a bank account in your name. You don't have to use it, but I want you to have it. Just in case. I know you're both royal guardians, but this baby—"

"Adrian. Thank you. I think that's a good idea. We really appreciate it."

He nodded. His phone went off and he looked at it.

Jill asked, "_Can we get pictures of Rose?_"

"_What do you mean?_"

"_Progress shots of her belly._"

He looked up and asked cautiously, "Jill wants pictures of you over the months."

Dimitri smiled. "I've already been taking them. I'll send you copies."

"Thank you." He relayed the message to Jill. "She says thank you. It wasn't something I thought of. Not sure if you'd want me to have pictures of your pregnant girlfriend."

"Pregnant with your child." He pointed out kindly.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Rose thought I didn't love her anymore. You thought you were in love with her. She needed you. A lot of factors went into this child's conception. None of us expected this to happen. But I for one am glad to have the chance to help raise this child. I have often wondered what it would be like to be a parent. But I never thought I would be able to have the chance, even if it was something I really wanted. But here we are. And it's not a bad thing for any of us."

"Rose, what will you do in the later months? You're not going to be in duty or anything, are you?"

She sighed. "No, I won't share duties. But I will start my new job in charge of the queen's guardians. It's a lot of desk work. And I will be in Court, no venturing out after this at all, actually. So, don't worry, we're all going to be in good hands." She patted Dimitri's knee.

"Okay, good." Adrian stood. "I should go."

Rose surprised Adrian by pulling him in for a hug. "It was good to see you."

"You, too." He patted her back.

Dimitri held out his hand. "No hard feelings?"

Adrian shook the offered hand. "Not from this side."

"Same here."

As soon as he was in the hall, he punched in Sydney's number and headed outside for a cigarette.

"How did it go?" She asked in greeting.

"Not bad." He explained to her about the talk between drags of his cigarette.

"It sounds like you have it all figured out." Sydney commented when he finally stopped.

"I hope so." He sighed, "Sage, I don't know if I could handle any of this if it hadn't been for you."

"I'll do what I can, Adrian." She assured softly.

"I should let you get some sleep."

"Yeah."

"Good night, Sage."

"Good night." She paused. "I wouldn't mind a dance tomorrow."

He chuckled. "Remember to act scared."

"Don't worry, it won't be an act. If they see me get too close, I could be sent to re-education. And losing you scares me more than anything."

She hung up before he could ask for further explanation.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: I glossed over and slightly altered events from _The Indigo Spell_ in this chapter to help us advance some things. I did take some actual lines from the book, but **I** **do not own**_**_ them_.**_ Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites._

_Over on my tumblr (booksrockmyface), I'm doing cuddles week and I have some Sydrian planned if you're interested._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Four

Adrian pulled Sydney over to the couch as soon as she walked into the door. His laptop was open and there was an odd video paused on it. When she sat down she realized what it was.

"Oh, wow, is that her?" She asked leaning forward and pressing play on the ultrasound video.

"Yeah. She's getting so big." He said proudly. "Rose said she's moving around a lot more."

"Is she sucking her thumb?" Sydney leaned closer.

"Yeah." He sighed happily.

"She's so cute." She sat back and watched him for a few more minutes. Adrian was so sweet like this. She had the urge to reach out and touch him.

He said softly, "I've been watching this for over an hour. I can't get over it." He turned to her and reached out to touch the small wooden cross he'd given her as a replacement for the golden one she'd lost. "I like this little bit of normalcy in all the craziness lately."

"It's only going to get worse." She put her hand on top of his.

"I know."

"Ms. Terwiliger has some spells she wants me to cast. Will you come with me?"

"Sure. Same place as last time?"

"Yes."

With one more look at the screen, he closed his computer and stood. "Okay. But first, I think we need some provisions."

"Provisions?" She watched as he put together a picnic basket with a blanket and a thermos.

"Lemonade." He explained. "To help fortify you. I thought I'd be prepared for another one of these."

It was then that she noticed what he was wearing and smiled. "Your AYE shirt?"

He just grinned and headed out the door. "I'm going to see if I can start a chapter on Carlton's campus."

"The _only_ chapter."

"Gotta start somewhere, Sage." He smirked as he climbed into the car.

They drove mostly in silence. Sydney watched Adrian. He smiled slightly. Most likely he was thinking about the baby. It was really sweet how much he was in love with this person that he really had no contact with other than seeing the occasional picture. It was a depressing situation. At least Rose was giving him the opportunity to be part of her life.

* * *

"I can't believe this." She grumbled looking at the dragon—_callistana_—in the aquarium. He was curled up in the corner asleep. She stretched out on her bed.

Adrian had been kind of distant all afternoon. That is, until the dragon had appeared. His mind was on the baby. She knew it was. He was pretty excited about the dragon, though; but only enough to promise to have him over the weekends.

She fell asleep and was pulled into a spirit dream. Adrian had his computer with him, showing off the ultrasound video some more.

"Are you trying to impress me with that?" She asked, sitting down beside him on the couch.

He smirked. "Is it working?"

Sydney shook her head and sat down beside him on his couch. "So have you started talking about names?"

"Not talking, but I know what I want. I really like Lorelei. It's pretty, don't you think?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it is."

He leaned back. "How is the dragon?"

"Asleep. Jill loves him."

"I figured she would." He watched her a long time. "I don't want you to leave me, Sage."

"Leave you?" She turned on the couch. "What do you mean?"

"All this business with Marcus. I don't want you to leave. But if you think it's what you feel you have to do, I think you should go for it."

"Adrian—"

"I don't think I would have been able to handle any of this if it wasn't for you. I'm happy about this baby, but I would have gone crazy with worry of you hadn't made me feel like I was worth it."

"Worth what?"

"Love. You may not admit it to me ever, but I can tell you love me. And I don't care if you never tell me. I have her. And I know there will be no conditions. She'll love her daddy because there will be no prejudice keeping her from it."

Sydney swallowed. "You know I'd…If I could run away with _you_…" She shook her head. "Send me back. Get some sleep yourself. You need it."

"Wait." He cupped her cheeks and leaned in. "I need you to know something else."

"What?"

"If not for Jill and our connection, I'd follow you to Mexico. I wouldn't beg you to come back. I wouldn't even beg you to come with me, but I'd follow you around like a lost puppy because there's nothing I want more, that calms me more, than simply being with you." He brushed his lips over hers for a moment and then sat back.

"Please let me go." She asked softly.

He nodded and the dream slowly started dissolving.

Sydney woke up and looked toward the aquarium. She sighed and rolled over. She tried to go back to sleep, but it never happened. She kept running Adrian's words over and over in her head. He loved her so desperately. Did she love him the same way?

* * *

Every time he was alone or had a moment to think about things, Adrian took the ultrasound picture out of his wallet and just looked at it. He sometimes scrolled through the pictures of Rose showing off her ever-growing stomach that Dimitri sent him almost daily. She always smiled or tried to make silly faces. It's what made it even better.

This practice got him through his time away from Sydney as well. His love for her was all mixed up in his love for his daughter. She was always so supportive, even when she could have told him, like his father and Eddie had, that he had done something incredibly stupid. She had always smiled and let him talk about the baby and his fears and hopes for her.

Even when they were in danger, the baby and Sydney kept him going. They were what was important in his life. He had never felt like he was worth it, just like he'd told Sydney in the spirit dream. But he knew they would always be there.

It took some convincing from Jill to go to the museum. She suggested getting Sydney to meet him somewhere when she realized what was going on. Standing there in the garden—waiting, _hoping_ she'd show up—Adrian pulled out his phone and scrolled through the pictures of Rose for the millionth time.

He felt Sydney step up behind him. There was a shift in the atmosphere. "Sage." He sighed.

"She really is getting big." Sydney commented as he turned.

He put the phone away. "I was beginning to wonder…"

"I know, me too."

They stared at each other for a long time, saying nothing. Then as one, they reached for each other. Their lips locked and they held each other so tightly it was a wonder either could still breathe when they finally broke the kiss quite a while later. Even with all the people surrounding them, they felt they were the only ones that existed. They kissed again and again.

They spent the rest of the afternoon—between kisses—exploring the museum and making a lot of promises. They laughed together, a thing Sydney hoped wouldn't ever go away for them. She didn't think this would last forever, but she hoped it would at least last a long time.

They were in love. Adrian was going to be a father. And Sydney assured him that she would always accept the little girl for as long as they knew each other, even if they didn't last. Which was something they also talked about.

"I'm not letting you go, Sage." He said very seriously.

"You may not have a choice." She said, kissing his hand.

"We're keeping this a secret. And I'll have you know I for one am pretty damn good at keeping secrets. And you? Well, it's kind of your job."

"It is my job. You're right."

"So we have this covered."

In the end, they swore it was something they would work on. They both wanted this, despite all the outside factors that could break them apart.

After he dropped her off at Amberwood later, Adrian sat in his apartment, waiting for the text she had promised to send him when she was settled in for the night. Their winter break had started and they were going to be leaving the dorms the next day. They would be staying at a nearby hotel over the break. They had all wished for something better, like going home, but that was too risky. They would be spending Christmas together as they had Thanksgiving: at Clarence's house.

Adrian's phone finally rang and he put it to his ear. "Sydney." He said seductively.

"My sister is here." She said frantically.

"What?"

"My little sister Zoe. She's here. Adrian, what are we going to do?"

He took a deep breath. "I guess we'll figure it out. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"If we can get away."

"I'll come by to have lunch with you guys. We'll maneuver a way to be alone."

"Okay. I think I can work with that."

"Breathe, Sage. It'll be okay." He assured her. "And I'll try to turn on my charm with her."

"No, better not. I don't want you seducing my little sister. Or even trying it. She might go back to our superiors with it."

"Okay. So I keep my distance?"

"Please?"

"Sure. No problem. I'll see you tomorrow, Sage." He assured her.

She didn't feel the reassurance.

* * *

They had been put them all in a large suite in the hotel. There were three bedrooms and Sydney set up the room assignments: she and Zoe would share a room, Jill and Angeline would share the other (much to Jill's discomfort, but it was for the best), and Neil and Eddie were in the last room.

"I know the place is secure, but I think I'd personally feel more comfortable sleeping in the living room, closest to the door." Eddie said after Sydney laid out the plan.

"I agree." Neil said, nodding. "We should actually set up a watch."

"We're in a very secure hotel, I think we'll be fine." Jill commented. "In fact, I don't know why I couldn't just stay with Adrian."

"You know why you can't." Eddie said softly. "But we'll be seeing him quite a bit."

Sydney had to work to keep her face straight. "That's right. In fact, he said something about meeting us all for lunch."

There was a knock on the door then. Eddie moved toward the door tentatively and looked out the peep hole. "Speak of the devil." He opened the door and let the Moroi in.

Sydney had to fight even harder. Just the day before they had declared their love for each other, with the promise to keep it a secret. And now here they were surrounded by everyone else and the only person who knew was Jill.

"Hello, all." He said kindly. His eyes landed on Sydney and he gave her a special smile. It was quickly turned off and he plopped down on the couch.

Jill sat down beside him and whispered something in his ear. He put and arm around her and pulled out his phone. Sydney figured they were looking at pictures of Rose.

They made plans to order room service on the Court's tab. Zoe stuck close to Sydney who tried hard not to relax like she was used to doing around these people. Zoe took in everything. She asked Sydney several questions about everyone and spoke about what would be expected.

Then she said, "I can't believe they put us all in the same place." She said it loud enough for the others to hear.

Jill and Adrian ignored her easily, still whispering to each other on the couch. Neil Glanced her way a moment and then went back to his observation of the world through the window. Eddie smiled and watched them a moment before going back to his own perusal through an adjacent window. Angeline stared at her outright.

"And what's wrong with us?" She demanded.

"Angeline." Eddie warned.

"I just don't get what's so wrong with us."

"You're unnatural." Zoe argued.

"Zoe, I think you and I could use some fresh air." Sydney stood and pulled her sister to her feet.

"But they are. That's what they teach us." The younger alchemist argued.

"And I'm taught that we're all the same." The young Keepers girl argued.

"You're even worse. Consorting with humans. It's wrong."

"Zoe." Sydney warned.

"Sydney, you can't agree with them. You know I'm saying the right thing."

Angeline stood and took a step toward the other girl.

Adrian stood and put himself in between the two before the dhampir could advance any more. He spoke softly to her and she bristled even more.

"You can't be taking their side."

"I'm not taking sides." He said at a higher volume. "I'm telling you to calm down. This isn't about you or Zoe or all the things either of you have been taught from birth. This is about keeping Jill safe. And if we can't get along in our own group, how are we ever going to do her any good outside of it?"

Angeline scoffed and then stomped off to the bedroom she and Jill would be sharing and slammed the door.

Sydney sent Adrian a grateful look. "I still think you need some air." She said to her sister and dragged her outside.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: A little bit of Romitri happening in this chapter! I hope you enjoy. There's a bit of Russian. Some is translated within the chapter, but I'll put the other after the chapter. If I have made any mistakes, please feel free to correct me._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Five

"I can't fit into any of my clothes." Rose grumbled in the mirror, tugging at a dress that stretched to its limits over her stomach.

"Roza, you look fine." Dimitri said from the doorway.

"I didn't say anything about my looks." She snapped. "But now that you bring it up—"

He was across the room in three strides and wrapped his arms around her. "Ya tebya lyublyu. Ty prekrasna, moya Roza."

"I love it when you talk like that." She smiled and leaned into him. "But I still need new clothes."

"So I'll take you to get some. We're both off today." He smiled. "But let me take your picture first."

"Dimitri, no. I feel like a blimp." She wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"You are not a blimp, Rose." He picked up the camera and she turned away.

"Not today." She snapped.

"But you are beautiful. You are carrying a precious little baby. And her daddy wants to see you like this."

"No, he doesn't." She sat down on the bed. "He doesn't care. He just wants the baby."

He kneeled in front of her. "That is not true. He cares about you."

"Why are you defending the guy that knocked me up?" Tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm crying all the time. I hate it."

"You are beautiful, even in tears." Dimitri smiled gently and wiped her cheeks. "I am defending him because in a way he has given me a great gift."

"I wouldn't be able to think of it that way if it were you." She sniffed.

He smiled and kissed her hands. "I wasn't sure when you first told me; no matter how much I told you it was all right. But it _is_ all right." He put his hand on her stomach. "I'm excited for this baby. I really am. And Adrian is, too. I will work with him and with you to give her the best life any child could want or need."

Rose put her hand on top of his. "Nasha devochka."

He smiled. "Yes, our sweet baby girl."

She sighed and wiped her face again. "Okay, take that picture. And when you send it to Adrian, tell him I'm kind of hating him right now, but not really. And that I think he better get me something really great for Christmas to make up for it."

Dimitri chuckled and stood. "I will make sure to tell him." He snapped a few pictures. He leaned down and kissed her softly. "I love you, Roza."

"I love you, Dimitri."

"Come on, find your shoes. We'll get you some new clothes."

Dimitri hated shopping with Rose normally. She always took forever, trying on a dozen or more outfits that all looked good on her, and pointing out all the many ways they didn't look good at all. He couldn't see it.

This trip was different. The clerk put Rose in several dresses that she instantly fell in love with. They didn't show off the fact that she was pregnant and they didn't attempt to hide it, either. They fit on her in a way that showed off her feminine beauty and enhanced her growing stomach.

"I really like this one." She said, turning in the mirror and examining the deep blue dress. "This is the one I want for the Christmas party."

"Then that one is definitely yours, Roza." He smiled.

"I like the green one, too." She said, conflicted.

"So get the green one as well." His phone went off and he looked down. "Adrian wants to know how he can make it up to you."

"He can buy me this dress." She smiled. "I don't want to blow our budget on a couple dresses I can only wear a short time."

"I'm buying you the dress, Roza. I'm buying you both of them. And a complete wardrobe of clothes for every day."

"You just don't want the father of our baby buying me clothes." She pointed out as she walked into the dressing room.

"I suppose that's part of it. He can purchase clothes of better quality than the pair of us put together." He admitted, following her and leaning against the wall outside. "But you deserve for me to blow all of my income on you. You work too hard and you've barely started. You will burn yourself out, Roza. It's not good for the baby, anyway."

She poked her head out of the dressing room and pulled him to her for a kiss. "Okay. Thank you. I love you."

"And I you, Roza." He kissed her once more.

She closed the door. "Tell Adrian that he can make up my anger by getting Sydney something really nice for Christmas. Or do something extra special for her."

"Sydney?"

"The Alchemist. She's risked a lot." She stepped out of the dressing room in a red blouse and gray slacks. The shirt billowed out around her middle.

"That's not it, though, is it?" Dimitri asked, placing a hand on her stomach.

"I can't talk about it here. But Sydney deserves something for all she does."

They shopped for a few more hours, going into a few different stores finding casual clothes and fancy clothes and everything in between that would work for all the coming months.

"So tell me why Sydney Sage is important." Dimitri said as Rose collapsed on the couch.

"Only if you rub my feet." She kicked off her shoes and wiggled her toes at him.

"Anything for you, Roza." He sat down and began to massage her feet.

"Jill let something slip when we were talking recently. She said she really liked the feeling of being in love through the bond without having to deal with the drama directly. But that now that everyone is in close quarters over the break, along with Zoe Sage's arrival, it makes it even more difficult for Adrian to be with the girl he's in love with."

"And you think she means Sydney?"

"I _know_ she means Sydney. Who else would it be? The only other female around them is Angeline and she's not his type."

"There is no one more different from you than Sydney Sage."

"Which is why I think he's in love with her." She poked him in the side with her toes.

He twitched away. "And you don't mind?"

She shook her head. "Why would I mind? I'm with you. He deserves to be happy too. And Sydney is really sweet."

Dimitri nodded. "He has not responded to your request yet."

* * *

"Go on to bed, Eddie." Adrian said, sitting on the couch. "I'm not tired and I'm sleeping in here anyway. I'll come get you if anything happens."

He looked between Adrian and Sydney, the only ones still awake. It was Christmas Eve. Everyone had stayed up late, shaking boxes under the little tree Adrian and Jill had found on one of their daily excursions. They had all slowly drifted away to their rooms.

Eddie finally nodded and headed into the other room.

As soon as the door closed, Adrian moved a little closer to Sydney. He kissed her cheek. She turned her head and caught his lips. They kissed lazily for several long seconds. Sydney gathered the front of Adrian's shirt in her hands.

Adrian broke the kiss. "Merry Christmas, Sage."

She smiled and pressed her eyes into his shoulder. "Merry Christmas." She looked up. "Eddie knows."

"Of course he knows. We're being a little obvious. But I trust him to keep his mouth shut." He kissed her softly and rested his forehead on hers.

She looked down at her watch and said in mock surprise, "Wow, it's been nearly ten minutes and you haven't said anything about your baby."

He chuckled. "I always worry you get tired of hearing about her. And Jill lives in my head part of the time…."

"I like it. She keeps you grounded and pushes your spirit insanity away. And I just like that adorable little glint you get in your eye."

He grinned and took out his phone. "I got this a few days ago." He tapped the screen a few times and then passed over the phone. "Rose isn't happy with me."

"Of course. I probably wouldn't be either."

He smiled. "I look forward to that."

"You might not see it. I don't want dhampir children." She leaned in to kiss him, but he held her off.

"Wait. I want to talk about that."

"What's there to talk about? We're not even really dating."

A voice spoke in one of the rooms. A female voice. They both froze.

"Zoe." Sydney whispered and stood. She walked toward the bedroom she shared with her sister. She opened the door and peered inside. After a moment she closed the door softly and walked back over to Adrian.

"If we _were_ dating, like seriously dating, what would you say?"

"I'd say that having a family is something I've always been a little iffy on. I am an Alchemist because it was more or less thrust upon me. I never wanted that for my children. And I kind of hoped I'd fall for a regular human and I could have a better excuse to leave: so I could raise my family. And with dhampir children, it would be the same if they were born to Alchemist parents. They would be forced into something."

"Listen, I get that fear, I do. But I _never_ want to force my kids into a life they don't want. If, and I know it's a big _if_, we get to that point, I want to set down a few rules. The baby that I'm having with Rose, she's going to be a guardian. I know she is because that's what Rose wants for her and I won't argue it. But with you and me, we could live far away from Court, raise our children in the human world, but know who they are and where they come from. I want them to know basic fighting skills. But I want the choice whether or not to be trained as guardians to be up to them when we think they're old enough for it."

"You're not going to argue with Rose?"

"Why should I? I think guardians are very important. We need as many as we can get. And I know she'll be a good one because Rose is amazing. And Dimitri, too. This kid will be taught by two of the best from infancy."

"And you're really okay with that?"

He thought about it a moment. "I am, actually." He pulled out the ultrasound picture for the millionth time. "They've been calling her nasha devochka."

Sydney smiled. "That's sweet."

"My Russian is a little rusty and I never asked…"

"Our baby girl." She translated. "Do you like it?"

"I guess I like it a little better now."

"Have you told Rose the name?" She curled up in his side when he tugged on her arm.

"Not yet. She's been rattling off Russian names. Irina. Aleksandra. Natasha."

"Those are pretty."

"And would go well with the last name Ivashkov. But I have a feeling Dimitri is picking them out. And I don't know if I want her to have a Russian name. Especially one so obvious. And I just really like the name Lorelei."

"Lorelei Ivashkov." Sydney said softly. "It's nice. It's a great guardian name."

"Hathaway is probably better." He picked up a piece of her hair a twirled it around his finger.

"Probably." She sat up and looked at him. "I should get to bed."

"You should." Adrian pressed a kiss to her mouth. "But first, let me give you your present." He reached behind the couch and pulled out a small box.

"Adrian, you didn't need to get me anything."

"I didn't _get_ it. I made it."

She slowly tore open the paper, trying not to make too much noise. She opened the box to find a small framed painting. "Hopper." She smiled.

"It was hard to get him to sit still." He grinned. "I have this idea of putting together a little storybook for the baby starring Hopper the Dragon."

"That's great." She kissed him. "This is great. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He pulled her close. "You are very _very_ welcome." He kissed her again.

"I want to give you're your present now, too." She walked over and found the gift marked "_To: Adrian, From: Sydney_" and handed it over to him.

"Thanks." He tore into it, not caring if any of the others heard. "_Great Painters of the Twentieth Century._"

"I kind of hope that we'll get your name in the edition for this century." She smiled. "Do you like it?"

He smiled. "I do. A lot of people go on and on about the Romantics and all those. But I go for surrealism myself. I love Dalí."

"I've heard you mention him once or twice."

He kissed her. "Thank you, Sydney."

She stood. "I need to go to bed. Jill said she wants to wake up at 5AM for presents." She rolled her eyes.

Adrian stood with her and pulled her into his arms. "One more thing before you go to bed because I won't have another chance to do it for a while." He covered her mouth with his once more.

Sydney melted into him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She opened her mouth to him and allowed his tongue exploration over her lips and teeth. She slid her tongue along with his. A moan escaped her and she immediately broke the kiss.

She rested her forehead against his. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For all of that." She stepped back. "I like you kissing me, but I shouldn't have been so brazen. Any number of people could have walked in and ruined everything." She brushed her lips across his once more. "Merry Christmas, Adrian."

"Merry Christmas, Sage." He kissed her hand and whispered, "I love you."

She smiled and gently tugged her hand out of his. She watched as he settled onto the couch and opened the book she'd given him before she closed the door firmly between them.

* * *

_Translation: I love you. You are beautiful, my Roza._


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Baby name reveal! Hope you like it. Also, some more Russian that is translated within the chapter. If I have gotten something wrong, please correct me. I want to make sure it's accurate and translator apps aren't always the best, from what I understand._

_Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Six

School started back for everyone. Sydney found herself sneaking over to see Adrian more and more. Mostly they sat around talking about the baby and just general life things. It always ended in them making out on the couch, though. And neither of them minded that.

During one of the particularly heated make-out sessions, Adrian's phone rang and he rolled away with a heavy groan. He kept his hand on Sydney's thigh.

"Hello, Rose." He said kindly.

"Hi. So Dimitri and I want to discuss names." She blurted.

"You and Dimitri?"

"He _is_ going to be around. He should have a say."

"Well, I have someone here who should have a say, too." He took the phone away and pushed the speaker button. "Say hello." He prompted Sydney.

"Adrian," she whispered, "don't pull me into the middle of this."

"It's about baby names." He rubbed her leg. "I want your opinion."

"Maybe you shouldn't drag her into it if she does not want to be part of it." Dimitri said.

"And maybe I just think you should butt out." Adrian snapped.

Sydney wrapped her arm around him. "Hey, don't be like that."

He looked at her a minute and then nodded. "I'm sorry, man. What are your thoughts?"

"We like Lorelei. But we want her middle name to be Russian." Rose explained.

"What were you thinking?"

"Aleksandra." Dimitri said. "The Russian spelling. We picked it because it's not an exclusively Russian name."

"And I want the name Hathaway to be in there somewhere." Rose supplied.

"That baby's name is all over the place." Sydney commented.

Adrian smiled at her. "I think I like it that way. It's a long name, though."

"She just better not get in trouble." Rose joked. Then she said dreamily, "Lorelei Aleksandra Hathaway Ivashkov. It's kind of perfect."

"Yeah." Adrian pressed a kiss to Sydney's cheek. "How's everything going? How are you, Rose?"

"Everything hurts. And my feet are swollen. And I have constant heartburn. But everything is right on track. She's moving all over the place. Kicking me so hard I'm afraid she'd going to come out of there in a far more violent way than normal."

They heard Dimitri mumble something to her and she laughed.

"Dimitri says that if this baby rips herself out of me like Alien, he will never trust another Moroi."

Adrian chuckled. "Well, I hope for my sake and for Rose's that none of those things happen."

"I agree." Rose said. "So, Sydney, how are thing with your sister?"

Sydney hesitated. No one had said it was her there with him. "She's settling in pretty well. It's been nearly two months now and she's coping as well as I expected she would."

"Which means we still scare the hell out of her." Adrian added.

"That's not entirely true. She tolerates all of you."

"She hates being in the same room with me. And Jill said she's uncomfortable with her too."

"And you know why that is. It took me a while to get over it too."

"Yeah, but she doesn't have her own—"

Sydney clamped her hand over his mouth and her eyes went wide. He almost let the truth about her magic slip.

"Shit, Sage. Sorry." He said quickly.

She shook her head. "Zoe isn't dating a Moroi. That's what's been a lot of help for me personally."

"So this is dating?" Adrian smirked.

Rose laughed on the other end of the phone. "This is prime entertainment. Don't worry, Sydney, no one else will know what we know. And I like that you've been in Adrian's life through all this. It means a lot to me that he has more than Jill to get through it."

"It's not getting through anything, Rose." Adrian said softly. "There was a bit of acceptance on my own part. But I've grown up so much, you don't understand. I can see it in myself. And Jill told me how much more she's able to deal with being shadow-kissed now that I'm calmer more often. I've stopped drinking, Rose. Completely. And I've cut way back on the smoking. Sydney can tell you."

"I'm so happy to hear it, Adrian." She said.

"Can I talk to Lorelei?" He asked nervously.

"Sure." She paused. "Listen, devochka."

Adrian's voice got softer when he held the phone closer to his mouth, "Hello, Lorelei. I love you. And I can't wait to meet you. Don't give your mom too had a time, sweetheart. You'll be here before long. Enjoy the warmth of your tiny world. I love you. I know I already said that, but I don't think I'll ever say it enough." He closed his eyes tight. "Bye, baby."

"We'll talk to you soon, Adrian." Rose said.

"Wait, I just thought of something."

"What?"

"What will she call Dimitri?"

There was silence on the other line.

Dimitri spoke, "She will call me Dimitri."

Adrian took a deep breath and said, "I think she'll be around you a lot more. And I think she should call you Dad or some equivalent."

Dimitri hesitated and then said, "Let me speak with you privately."

Adrian took the phone off speaker and walked into the kitchen. "I'm listening."

"I don't want to interfere, Adrian." The guardian said calmly.

"I know. But you're going to be more than Dimitri to her."

"You will always be her daddy, I won't take that away from her." He argued.

"And I would hate for you to. But you deserve something more. You're helping to raise her. She doesn't have your name. But she'll be yours as much as she's mine."

"Papochka." Dimitri said softly.

"What's that?"

"Daddy in Russian. If you don't mind."

"I like it."

"Are you sure it's fine?" He asked nervously.

Adrian had never heard him so unsure. "Yeah, I am. Of course I am. You're Papochka. I'm Daddy. Rose is Mommy."

"And what is Sydney?"

"Just my girlfriend for now. We'll see down the road what happens."

"Don't blow it, Ivaskkov."

"I don't plan on it, Belikov. Take care of my baby and her mother."

"Oh, I will. Don't worry about that." He chuckled.

Adrian hung up the phone and looked at it a long time.

"Adrian?" Sydney said from a few feet away.

He looked up.

"Everything okay?"

He smiled. "Dimitri wants her to call him Papochka."

She grinned. "I like that."

"If you and I—"

"Don't. I don't want…" She wrapped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his lips. "This could all be over tomorrow. I would be given another assignment."

"Just because you move away doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving you."

"I know that. But sneaking away to be with you is easier when you're part of the assignment. They could send me to South America next. Are you going to follow me?"

"I'd follow you to the ends of the earth."

"And what about Lorelei?"

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll follow you to the ends of the earth to visit you, but I'll always find a way to be near my baby girl."

"That's what I thought." She rested her head on his chest a moment. "I think I want to get out."

"Of the apartment?"

"Of the Alchemists. I don't think I can just leave. It will take a lot of work. But I want to go to school to become an architect. Settle down. Design buildings."

"Where?"

She smiled. "I was thinking Pennsylvania. I know some people in that state."

Adrian rested his forehead against hers. "Good people?"

"I'd like to think so."

"When all this is over?"

"Yes. When all this is over." Sydney sighed. "If it's ever over."

"They're close, Sydney."

"They've been 'close' for months."

"Lissa and Christian are going to get married and they plan to start a family really soon so they can add to the Dragomir line. It probably wasn't something either wanted so soon, but that's the plan. And that should help a little. Jill told me Lissa promised her that we would all be home within the year."

"She can't promise that."

"It's what she hopes, then." He rubbed her arms. "You should get back."

Sydney nodded. "You know if we do end up…I think I'd like to just be Sydney to her."

"Whatever you decide, I think that Lorelei will love you as much as I do."

She kissed him. "And I think I'll love her just as much. I hope I get to meet her."

"I hope so, too. In all of this, I hope we're around each other long enough for that." He cupped her cheeks. "But if it all ends in a couple days, just know that I will pull every string and grease all the palms I have to so I can get back with you and know you're okay."

She put her hands on top of his. "I'm not going to run. I'll leave as many bread crumbs as I can if they make me change all my contact information." She smirked. "And your child has a pretty slick grandfather that will probably get Rose anything she asked for. And Rose seems to approve of us." She kissed him. "I do need to go."

"So leave already." He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her lazily.

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her fingers tangled in his hair. She broke the kiss and gently pushed away from him. "I'll try to come by tomorrow. I have a study group."

"Bring them over here."

"To my _brother's_ apartment? Where you will be staring at me and imagining me naked?"

He smirked. "You don't think I'm a good actor?"

She laughed. "You might be, but I'm not." She walked toward the living room and started gathering her things.

He followed. "Wait, does that mean you've imagined _me_ naked?"

She blushed. "No, of course not."

"Yeah, right. Do you even know what men look like naked?"

She rounded on him, "I may look proper, but I'm a normal female. I'm curious. I've looked it up. Mostly in medical journals. I know how the anatomy looks. And I definitely know how it feels." She blushed even more fiercely and turned away.

"Now, you're picturing it, aren't you?"

"Maybe." She put her bag over her shoulder. "I have to go."

"Hey, Sage." He called as she stepped toward the door.

"What?"

"There's nothing wrong in doing that. Just try not to think about it when your sister's around. She's an observant little thing." He winked.

Sydney groaned. "See you tomorrow."

"I love you, Sage."

"That baby has made you sentimental." She grabbed the front of Adrian's shirt and pulled him to her for a kiss. "I think I like it." She kissed him again. "And the feeling is mutual."

He growled and kissed her once more. "Get out of here, Sydney, before the imagination becomes reality."

She sighed and walked out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: Thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. And I promise this chapter will prove to you why you should stick around for more. _;)

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Seven

Sydney knocked on Adrian's door before letting herself inside. The apartment was illuminated by candles.

Adrian leaned against the back of the couch. "Hello, birthday girl." He smirked.

She closed the door. "What did you do?"

He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I ordered a meal from a fancy restaurant." He kissed her. "And got a set of fancy dishes to put it on."

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "You didn't have to do any of this."

"But I wanted to." He kissed the top of her head. "You deserve it, Sydney."

She lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you."

"And I won't talk about the baby tonight."

"I don't care if you do. I like hearing about her."

He smiled. "I have something for you." He moved away and picked up some envelopes from the coffee table. "I hope I'm not butting in, but I wanted to get you started. These are applications for schools in Pennsylvania and a few surrounding states that have the best architecture programs, from what I've researched. And you can use my address here to apply if you want. For the secrecy."

She took the stack from him. "Adrian…I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you. And promise me you'll look into it at least."

"I'll look into it and I'll apply. No harm in that."

"And if you're accepted?"

"We'll just have to see where I am in my life." She smiled. "I hope somewhere near you."

He cupped her cheeks. "I hope so, too." He leaned down and covered her mouth with his. He simply brushed his lips over hers again and again.

Sydney dropped the envelopes onto the couch and gathered the front of his shirt in one hand. The other reached up behind his head to tangle in his hair. "Hm." She breathed and then opened her mouth and flicked her tongue out to taste his lips.

He opened his mouth to her and slid his tongue along with hers. A moan escaped him as she pressed herself closer.

She responded with her own appreciative moan. She pushed him down on the couch and straddled him. "Is this okay?" She asked, reaching for the hem of his shirt.

His voice was strangled when he asked, "Sage?"

She paused. "What?"

"What are you expecting?"

"I'm not sure yet." She pulled his shirt off his head. Her hands splayed out on his bare chest.

He could feel her trembling. He covered her hands with his. "Don't do this because you think I expect it."

She looked at him a moment and then leaned down, taking control of his mouth. This kiss was far more subdued than the last. She wrapped her arms around his chest.

Adrian cradled her to him. He combed his fingers through her hair and mumbled her name against her lips.

Sydney's hand moved to his side. She slid her hand up and down slowly, getting the feel for his skin against hers.

He rolled her underneath him, pushing the college applications onto the floor. His hand went under her shirt and splayed it out on her stomach.

"You can do a little more than that." She murmured against his lips.

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hm." She clamped her mouth on his and lifted herself off the couch. She tugged at her own shirt, breaking the kiss to pull it over her head.

He looked down at her, his breath ragged. He rested his hands on her hips and then moved them up slowly. "God, Sage."

"I really am trying." She said softly, knowing that he was looking at how thin she was.

"I know. And you look great." He leaned down and kissed her again, one hand sliding up to cup one of her breasts over her bra.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and moaned into his mouth.

Adrian pressed his knee between her legs and Sydney wrapped her ankle around his. He groaned and pressed himself down into her. "Sydney, tell me what you want."

"You, Adrian. All of you."

He kissed her softly once more and then sat back. "Not tonight." He said reluctantly.

She watched him a moment as she tried to regain her breathing. Then she sat up and wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you."

"For denying you what you want?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"For reminding me that I'm better than a mere conquest."

"Well, you _are_, Sydney." He cupped her cheeks. "I love you. And we'll do it when the time is right."

She kissed him and then moved away. They awkwardly put on their shirts.

Adrian walked into the kitchen. Sydney gathered the papers from the floor and out them on the coffee table. She walked into the kitchen just as Adrian's phone went off.

He took it out of his pocket and smiled. He held it up to show her. "Look at that. Lorelei is going to be a big baby."

Sydney walked closer to get a better look. "Rose looks miserable."

"I'm sure Dimitri does everything in his power to make her less miserable. But I don't want to think about that." Adrian put the phone on silent and then stuffed it back in his pocket. He reached up and cupped Sydney's cheek. "Are you okay?"

She leaned into his hand. "Why wouldn't I be okay? My boyfriend is doing some really sweet things for me for my birthday. It's the best one I've ever had and we haven't even had supper yet."

"You just called me your boyfriend." He smirked.

"I did."

"I'm glad you think that." He kissed her softly. "How hungry are you? This place sent over a ton of food. So whatever we don't eat tonight, we'll have to eat tomorrow." He pulled out a chair for her and poured her a glass of sparkling grape juice. He sat a plate in front of her and then kissed her temple. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you, Adrian. You don't know what this means to me."

"I think I have a bit of an idea." He sat down beside her and rested a hand on her knee. He kept it there the entire meal.

"Are you getting anxious?" She asked softly.

"Anxious?"

"For the baby."

He smiled proudly. "Just a little."

"Only a little?" She rubbed his hand. "I wish I could do something for you."

"Like a baby shower? Not much of a party. Eddie still doesn't fully approve and you and Jill are the only other ones who know."

"You deserve something."

"I just want your continued support. And for you to promise to help me spoil Lorelei once she's here."

She grinned. "I think I can do that."

He kissed her. "I love you."

She watched him a moment and then said softly, "I love you, too."

He pulled her onto his lap. "The best words you've spoken to me." He kissed her. "I'd ask you to marry me if I thought it would actually happen."

"We're not ready for that." She brushed her lips over his. "But how do you know it wouldn't happen if we were?"

"Are you saying it would?"

"I'm saying you shouldn't discredit how much I care about you. I plan on being around you as much as I can for the rest of my life. This is a forever thing. Maybe not marriage, especially not any time soon. But I love you, Adrian. I love you a lot. And now that I've said it once, I'm not going to let a day go by without telling you." She kissed him again. "I love you."

"And I love you." He kissed her lazily for a while. "I have dessert."

"Do you want me to lick it off you?"

"Oh, my god, Sydney." He laughed and buried his eyes in her neck. "I can't believe you just said that."

She laughed. "I have fantasies, too."

He looked up at her. "Really?"

"That was a joke. About the licking dessert off you. Maybe one day down the road, but—"

Adrian broke off her rambling with a kiss. "I know, Sydney. I like the joke. And I love you. And I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you in any way you will give me."

"I do too."

They kissed for a while longer. Sydney never wanted to leave his embrace. But it was getting late and she needed to get back to the dorm before the curfew. She broke the kiss with a sigh.

"I hate that I always have to leave you." She said.

"I know." Adrian sighed. He reached into his pocket. "This damn thing has been going off all evening. I'm sorry." He opened his texts. "My dad. Great."

"What?"

"He didn't realize Rose was going to keep the baby at Court. And the name has gotten around. He's not happy I'm giving a dhampir the most glorious Moroi name in existence. And he's pissed I haven't answered any of his messages all night."

"Well, you were schmoozing your girlfriend."

"Yeah, my human girlfriend. My _Alchemist_ girlfriend. That would go over _so_ well." He typed out a message.

Sydney combed her fingers through his hair and let him calm down.

"I don't mean anything against you." He put the phone down and wrapped his arms around her again. "I love you, Sage. I love everything you are."

"And I love everything _you_ are, Adrian." She kissed him. "Are you okay?"

He smirked. "You've asked me that a lot over these last few months."

"I have. I like knowing you're all right."

"Well, I am. Don't worry about me. I have this covered."

She rested her forehead against his. "I need to go."

"Without dessert?"

"I really don't need it." She stood and walked into the living room to gather the applications. "I wish I could stay."

"You could call and say you need to stay out for a project."

"No, I can't. Not if I don't want detention." She smiled. "Listen to me. I sound like I actually belong there."

He grinned. "I'm having some schoolgirl fantasies now."

"Plaid skirt, white shirt, too much skin?"

He moaned appreciatively. "Oh, yes."

She kissed him. "Maybe one day." She giggled.

"Happy birthday, Sage."

"Thank you. I won't ever forget it."

Adrian walked her out to her car and kissed her one last time before finally letting her go.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note: Thank you for reading! Thank you for reviewing, following, and favoriting. And for liking and reblogging the links on Tumblr. I appreciate it all. A small bit of Russian. Translated at the end as always._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Eight

Sydney watched from one end of the couch as Jill and Adrian laughed about some silly movie on TV on the other, grabbing onto each other to keep from falling off. Eddie sat on a chair and watched with a smile on his face, but nothing more. Angeline was out with Trey. It was the last week of school and they were taking a much-needed break from studying for finals.

Adrian's phone went off, interrupting everything. "Dimitri?" He asked nervously.

"Are you near your computer?" The guardian asked on the other end.

"She's having the baby?" He got up off the couch and hurried into the other room.

"I think we should give him some privacy." Jill said as she stood.

Eddie was out the door first. Jill waved to Adrian.

"Sydney?" Adrian asked form the kitchen table. "Would you stay?"

"Are you sure? I don't want to intrude or make Rose uncomfortable."

Jill held out her hand for the keys. "Rose said you could." She answered for him.

"The bond." She said, handing her keys over. "Don't let Eddie be too upset."

"I'll try. Call and let us know something." She left.

Sydney sat down beside Adrian at the kitchen table.

"Sydney's here." He said, turning the computer so she could see.

The camera sat near Rose's head. She and Dimitri were in view. There were nurses moving in and out of the frame.

"Hi, Sydney." Rose said, her voice was strained.

"Hey, Rose. How do you feel?" She asked gently.

"Hard to describe without too much gory detail."

Dimitri leaned in. "They are going to do a cesarean. Lorelei is breech and they cannot get her to turn."

"But everything else is okay." Rose assured them.

"Okay, so what's happening?" Adrian asked, taking Sydney's offered hand under the table.

Dimitri explained, "Rose has been given an epidural. As soon as it has numbed her, the incisions will be made and we will get to meet Lorelei." The last he said proudly.

"We're ready." A woman said, poking her head into view. "Hello, I'm the one who will be doing the cutting. You'll be meeting your daughter in a few minutes." She moved away and the room went silent for a while with the exception of the doctor and nurses talking together.

"How's it going, Rose?" Adrian asked.

"I feel weird." She said. She looked up. "Oh, wow. Dimitri?"

"I see, Roza." He reached across her and turned the camera.

"There she is." Adrian leaned closer. "Oh, my god." He squeezed Sydney's hand.

The doctor lifted her up as she screamed. "Say hi to Mommy."

"Lorelei." Rose said softly.

"A healthy set of lungs." Adrian commented.

"Would you like to cut the cord?" the doctor asked Dimitri.

He looked toward the camera nervously and then nodded.

Adrian glanced at Sydney a moment. She smiled and squeezed his hand.

They placed the baby on Rose's chest and she started to calm down. "Privet, devochki." She crooned. "Lorelei Aleksandra." She kissed her face. "I'm Mommy. This handsome man over here is Papochka." She turned to the camera. "There's Daddy and Sydney. One big, happy family."

Adrian chuckled. "She's going to be very loved."

Sydney pressed her eyes into his shoulder. She didn't want to think about what would happen when she had to go somewhere else. She wouldn't be part of this family.

"Look at her, Adrian. Is she not the most beautiful creature on the planet?" Drimitri was saying.

Sydney looked up. Lorelei was now on a table getting cleaned up and measured and weighed.

"Eight pounds, nine ounces." A woman said.

"Oh, my." Adrian breathed.

"Nineteen and half inches." The woman said again.

"That is a big baby."

"Can you see her, Adrian?" Dimitri asked.

"I see." He was full of wonder as he watched the screen.

Sydney kissed his cheek. "Congratulations." She whispered.

"Thank you."

"I'll call Jill if you want."

"I'll call." He smiled. "Lorelei, Daddy loves you."

The baby let out a soft cry. Dimitri put a hand on her stomach and whispered softly to her in Russian.

"Take good care of them, Dimitri."

"I will do everything in my power, Adrian. I promise you."

"Thank you. Bye-bye, Rory." He said softly.

"Tell Daddy, farewell. That you will be speaking with him again very soon."

Adrian gave the screen one last longing look and then closed the window. He put his face in his hands and took several deep breaths.

Sydney wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "You'll be okay."

He dropped his hands and turned toward her. "I want to hold her."

"Maybe we can arrange something…"

He shook his head. "It's too dangerous. They'll find out where I am. And then they could follow me back to Jill." He looked at her miserably. "I just want my baby."

She smoothed her hands over his cheeks. "I know. And I'm sure she's just aching for you."

He shook his head again and stood. "She won't even know who I am." He started pacing like a caged animal. She saw his hand reach into his pocket, but came out quickly and slammed his fist onto the counted. "Goddammit!" He put his face in his hands once more.

His phone rang. It was still on the table.

"It's Jill."

"Don't answer it." He reached into his pocket again and pulled out his cigarettes. He lit one as the phone stopped ringing and took a long pull from it. His phone started ringing again. He picked it up and threw it across the room.

"What can I do?" Sydney asked calmly.

Adrian gritted his teeth and then took another drag of his cigarette. "I don't really care."

"I know you're upset right now—"

"You don't know shit, Sydney!" He snapped. He stubbed out his cigarette and stomped out of the room, slamming his bedroom door.

She sat helplessly for a moment and then walked over to his door. "Adrian?"

She was met with silence.

"You're right, I don't have the slightest clue how difficult this is for you. The one person that does tried to call and you shut her out. Please don't do that to me. I love you, Adrian, and I want to be here for you. Through everything."

The door opened a crack and he peeked out.

"Let me hold you. Kiss away whatever I can. Help you come up with a plan to see her in person and hold her."

He opened the door the rest of the way and pulled her to his chest. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Sage."

She pressed her eyes into his neck and rubbed his back.

He rested his head on her shoulder. "I love you. Thank you for being here."

"She really is quite a pretty baby for a newborn."

"Maybe helped that she had to be delivered C-section." He chuckled and lifted his head. He kissed her.

Sydney's phone went off and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Jill asked you to calm down. Her head hurts." She tapped the screen. "Also, this." She held the phone up to reveal a picture of Rose smiling happily with the baby in her arms.

Adrian's face broke into a grin. He took the phone from her. "That's my baby, Sydney."

"That _is_ your baby." She rubbed his arms. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and handed the phone back to her. "You should delete that picture."

"I'll risk having it." She put the phone away. She pulled him to the couch. "You have a couple weeks between the end of this semester and summer classes, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you go see her then."

"Come with me?"

"I don't think I can." She combed her fingers through his hair.

He kissed her. "Can you maybe try?"

She pushed him down on the couch and rested her head on his chest. "I want to see her. I'll make it happen. I want to be there with you."

He kissed the top of her head. "Good."

They lay in silence for a long time after that. Adrian combed his fingers through Sydney's hair. Sydney swirled her fingers over Adrian's chest. She was on the verge of sleep when Adrian's phone went off from where it had landed against the wall.

"I should get that." He said sleepily.

"If it's Jill, she'll call me next."

It was then that her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket. "Eddie." She answered and pressed the phone to her ear, still swirling her fingers over Adrian's chest. "Hello?"

"Are you still with Adrian?" He asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"I want to talk to him?"

"Well, it's been a pretty rough day. Do you think you could hold off on the disparaging comments?"

"I think so. Let me talk to him."

She passed the phone to him. She could still hear Eddie on the other end.

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted. It was wrong of me. You deserve my respect and support and from now on you will get it."

"Thank you, Eddie. I think Rose needs to hear that, too."

"She does. And I will let her know. I never meant to hurt either of you."

"I know." Adrian kissed Sydney's forehead. "You just have very strong opinions and beliefs. And you thought we did, too. The thing is, we do. But I also love Rose. And she loves me. It may not be how it _should_ be when two people make a baby, but it's how it is."

"Are you sure you want to be talking about loving another woman with your girlfriend right there?" Eddie teased.

"How do you know she's my girlfriend?"

"Am I wrong?"

Adrian sighed. "No."

"Before you start to worry about my opinion, let me say that I think it's pretty great. You balance each other out really well."

"Thank you."

Sydney smiled into his chest.

"I'll call Rose and apologize. And tell her how cute the baby is. She looks a lot like her mother."

"Gee, thanks."

Eddie laughed, "I didn't mean that in a bad way."

"Sure you didn't." He hung up.

"I like balancing you out." Sydney said when he handed the phone back to her.

"I like it too."

"I also really like this." She kissed his neck and then put her ear back over her heart.

"Me too. So don't leave for the rest of the day." He requested.

"I can manage that." She sighed happily.

* * *

_Rose says, "Hello, baby girl."_

_Reminder, "Papochka" means "Daddy."_


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: I was informed that I had written Papochki in the last chapter which means Daddies. I have changed it to Papochka which means Daddy. Thank you for pointing that out, Lily95.  
_

_ As for writing the Russian in the Arabic lettering instead of the Russian letters: I do this because I am not a native Russian speaker and I like to see the letters in a way that I can sound out as well as for those others who don't know Russian that read my stories. I know it would be slightly more authentic if I wrote in the native letters, but it would just look confusing. Like writing out the Chinese characters for someone that speaks Mandarin. I hope this explanation makes sense._

_Thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. If there are any other concerns or questions, please feel free to voice them. I really do appreciate the feedback._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Nine

"Are you sleeping with that vampire?" Zoe asked as soon as Sydney walked into the room they shared.

"I thought you had a study group." She said, trying to avoid the questioning.

"I did. We finished hours ago. And then I came back and your car was in the lot, but I couldn't find you. The princess and her guardian were here, but not you."

"They have names, Zoe." Sydney pointed out, sitting down at her desk and taking out her books.

"They are vile creatures. Why do you care?"

"Because we're all supposed to pretend we're related. It doesn't help if you won't let them in a little, Zoe."

"So are you sleeping with Ivashkov?"

"No, I'm not sleeping with him." She kept her eyes focused on her books.

"Something's going on with you two, then. I know it is."

She clenched her jaw and turned to her sister. "And what if it is?"

"You're throwing your life away, Sydney."

"No, I'm not. I know what I'm doing."

"I sure hope so." She gathered her things and left.

Just then Sydney's phone went off. She opened the message from Adrian to find several pictures of Lorelei. She was asleep in all of them except the last where she was staring at the camera, her eyes dark brown and her look very serious.

"_Are you sure you're her father with a serious look like that?_" She sent.

"_Lol. She's got my chin and the shape of my eyes. Everything else is Rose. And I don't mind._"

"_She's beautiful, Adrian._"

"_Thank you._"

She looked at the phone for a while. She needed to talk with him about her sister, but she wasn't sure that was a good idea. She sighed, "I'm not much for good ideas these days." She tapped the screen until Adrian's number came up. She put the phone to her ear.

"Sage." He said in greeting.

"My sister knows."

"About us?"

"Yes."

"So what happens now?" he asked nervously.

"I don't know. I have to lay low until I find out what she tells our superiors."

"You need to delete those pictures, then."

"No, I won't. Adrian, I feel like…We're together. I'm not letting you go, no matter what happens. You and she are a package deal. And I don't mind that."

"Are you sure?" He asked softly.

"I am."

"If it weren't so close to curfew, I'd beg you to come back over."

"We'll be done soon. And then I won't have a curfew."

"True. But you'll be staying in a house. Isn't that the plan? Are they renting a house for you guys for the summer?"

"Yes, that's the deal. All of us in a house. Together. All summer. Jill and I will definitely be at your place a lot. I'll go insane if I have to stay there."

He laughed. "I bet you will. I can see it." He paused and then said, "Dimitri is calling her 'Sasha.'"

"Sasha? That's pretty."

"Yeah, but we picked Lorelei for a reason. And I like it."

"So you think he should call her Rory?"

"I like Rory."

"I think _I'll_ call her Rory." Sydney said. "And I also think Dimitri calling her Sasha isn't such a bad thing. It's not like he's changing her name, he's just shortened her middle name."

"I know. And I'm trying not to be jealous. There's no reason for me to be. She's _my_ daughter, but I have given him my blessing to raise her."

"Honey, right now you don't have a choice."

"Honey?"

She felt herself blush. Good thing he couldn't see her. "Yeah."

"I like it." He admitted. "I need a pet name for you."

"You call me Sage."

"But I want to call you baby or sweetie or honey."

"So do it."

"Okay, maybe I will."

"I have to go. I've got a bit more studying to do."

"You already know everything. Don't overdo it."

"I'll try."

* * *

Zoe watched Sydney closely for the next several days. She didn't confront Sydney, but she seemed to want to.

"Zoe?" Sydney said as they were packing their things.

"Yes?"

"Are you going to be okay with them?"

She looked down a moment and then back up at her sister. "I'm starting to like them." She admitted reluctantly.

"That scares you."

Zoe nodded. "Terrifies me. What am I going to do? I don't want to go to re-education." Her voice was hysterical.

Sydney pulled her down on the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Zoe, they aren't horrible. I know that's what we've been told, but they're not. And you know that now. You don't have to be attached to them. You can keep yourself separate from them."

"But you can't. You're in love with one of them."

"Do you hate me for it?"

"I think he's Compelled you."

"He hasn't. This all me. And I tried to fight it, Zoe. But I can't help loving him."

She sighed and stood. "I can't accept that, Sydney. It's not right."

"Are you going to tell Stanton? Or Dad?"

She leaned against the door. "Sydney, I've noticed how he looks at you. It's like you can do no wrong. Like you're the reason he's alive."

"I'm not the only reason." She mumbled.

"What's that?"

"Nothing." Sydney watched her sister. "You've seen how he looks at me and you think I'm still being Compelled?"

"Maybe. He loves you and you don't really love him back. Our information says that Spirit users have better Compulsion capabilities."

"They do. I've seen it. But I assure you, Zoe, it's not Compulsion."

Zoe watched her for a while and then nodded. "I believe you." She went back to packing the last of her things. "I'm ready."

"I am too. Adrian is coming to get Jill and Eddie. Do you want to ride with me or them?"

Her sister gave her a no-nonsense look. "You're seriously asking that question?" She rolled her eyes.

"You've been around Angeline too long." Sydney sent a text to everyone to let them know they were to meet in the parking lot.

The house they were given to rent was a small three bedroom place. They were met by a small group of guardians that included Dimitri. He was all business as he explained the house and the area were searched thoroughly before they were approved to move in. He also told them that wards were in place so no Strigoi could get in. When he was done speaking, one of the other guardians questioned Eddie and Neil about the situation.

Zoe left as soon as she was able to find a room for her and Sydney.

Dimitri pulled Adrian aside and took out his phone. Sydney and Jill walked over and looked over their shoulders.

"She has grown even in the last two weeks." The guardian explained. "She still sleeps a lot, of course. And I cannot put her down. Rose says I will spoil her, but I can't help it."

"Wow." Adrian took the phone from him to go through the pictures again. "Everything is okay? You guys don't need anything?"

"Everyone is fine." He took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Adrian. "This is something else for you."

He opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. There were Lorelei's foot and hand prints along with her name in beautiful calligraphy. "Thank you, Dimitri."

"I would have brought her for you if I could. It was difficult enough for me to leave her. I cannot even imagine what you're going through."

Adrian found Sydney's hand and squeezed it briefly. "I considered visiting Court for the two weeks between the end of the semester and my summer classes."

"You may come back with us, if you wish. Lorelei is very much looking forward to meeting her daddy."

Adrian nodded. "I want to see her." He glanced at Jill. "Will you be okay?"

"I think so. Better than these last couple weeks." The corner of her mouth tilted up. She pushed his shoulder. "Go. Just come back soon. We're not ready to be without you so close."

"We?" He asked and then looked over his shoulder to see Sydney had taken a few steps back. "Right. I promise that I will come back."

"Good." Sydney said softly.

The group broke apart and Sydney went in search of her sister.

"There are so many of them." Zoe said. "At least at Amberwood we were among humans."

"It's true. But they are all the good ones."

"None are the good ones, Sydney."

"I thought we were in agreement—"

"Yeah, until we got here and were surrounded by all of them. And what was that business you and Adrian and Jill had with that guardian?"

"His name is Dimitri. He had some information we all needed."

"About Rose Hathaway's baby?"

Sydney froze. "What are you saying?"

"That I know. I looked on your phone and saw the pictures."

"So you really are spying on me."

"I have to. I don't want to."

"So don't, Zoe. You aren't the Alchemists or Dad, you're Zoe. And you are such a strong young woman. Be your own person."

"I can, Sydney." Her voice broke. "You don't know how hard this is for me."

"I _do_ know. I've been in your shoes."

Zoe shook her head. "Not like this. No matter how much I _don't_ want to say something to Stanton, it comes out if I'm asked directly."

"Has she asked about me?"

"She asked about you all the time. She sent me here to spy on you."

"And what have you told her?"

"I haven't said anything about Adrian or the baby pictures on your phone. But they know I think you're too friendly with the dhampirs and Moroi. Stanton is concerned."

"I can't believe this, Zoe."

"They'll send you to re-education, won't they?"

"Probably." Sydney sat down on the bed and put her face in her hands. "I can't do it."

"Do you want me to get someone?" She asked awkwardly.

"Adrian." She said without a second thought.

Her sister left the room and she collapsed sideways on the bed. What was she going to do if Stanton found out about her and Adrian? How would she survive in a world not knowing him?

"Hey, Sage, are you okay?" He said softly.

Sydney shook her head. "I don't know what's going on, but my sister has informed our superiors about my closeness to all of you."

"Me in particular?" He asked, smoothing her hair away from her face.

"Not yet. I think it's the Compulsion in the tattoo. She said she has to answer if she's asked something directly. They haven't latched onto us yet, I guess. But it's only a matter of time."

"So what do we do?"

"I need to get out."

He nodded. "Did you send off any of those applications?"

"Not yet. I've missed most of the deadlines to matriculate in the fall."

"You're so hot when you use big words." Adrian smirked.

Sydney shoved his shoulder. "What do you think I should do?"

He looked toward the door to see it was open. He got up and closed it, turning the lock that was on it. "Must be why your sister chose it." Then he climbed into bed with Sydney. "Send off the applications. We'll work it out from there."

She wrapped her arms around him. "Are you going back to Court with Dimitri?"

"Do you think I should?"

"I do."

"It's going to be so hard to leave her."

"Either you go meet your baby now and come back missing her or you stay here and ache for her indefinitely."

He kissed her. "I love you, Sydney. And I won't stay gone forever. I have commitments here."

"Jill and I would both understand if you decided to stay there."

He rested his forehead against hers. "What if your sister says something to your superiors and I'm not here when all the shit goes down?"

"Then I'll handle it." She kissed him. "I expect lots of pictures."

"Don't worry."

She rolled away and he reached for her. "Just a minute." She kneeled down beside her suitcase and rummaged inside. "I got these for Lorelei." She came back toward the bed and handed him a pair of rattle socks that were striped pink and yellow. "I thought they were cute."

"They _are_ cute. Thank you." He pulled her back down.

She kissed him softly and then moved away. "We've been in here alone long enough."

"I wish you could come with me."

"I wish it too."

He put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. Her hands came up to the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. She broke the kiss all too soon. "When are they leaving?"

"Tonight."

"Then you should go get ready."

He nodded and kissed her once more.

"I love you. Don't forget that."

"I won't." He got up and walked out.

Sydney followed and saw Adrian talking with Dimitri in the corner. Both men were grinning. Sydney felt a sharp pain in the middle of her chest and immediately turned back toward her bedroom.


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's note: I may be taking a bit of a break from this to get some original stuff done. If you would like to check out my original work, you can go to fictionpress and search for Danielle Cheri. _Between Friends_ is the story I'll be working on and finishing this week._

_Anyway, I don't know how long this will be, but I have visions of future events that may be included. But they could also very easily turn into one shots. Haven't decided yet. Please let me know what you think._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Ten

"Roza, I am home. And I have a guest." Dimitri called as he walked through the front door to their apartment.

She appeared from a back room. A smile was already fixed on her face, but when she saw Adrian, it grew. "Adrian, hi." She walked over to him. "How are you?"

"Fine. How are you?"

"Exhausted. Glad Dimitri is home. He can pick up some of the slack." She reached up on her toes and kissed her boyfriend. "Come on." She tugged on Adrian's arm. "I just put her down for a nap, but you can still hold her. God knows Dimitri can't leave her asleep in her crib for long."

"This said by the woman who holds her for two hours or more after she is fast asleep." Dimitri shot at her.

"Zakroy svoy rot!" Rose returned with a laugh.

All three stepped into the nursery. It was painted a happy yellow with pictures of different animals all over the walls.

"This is cute." Adrian commented. He stepped up to the crib. "She's awake." He reached in and touched her tiny face. "Hello, Lorelei."

She started crying. It was soft at first but quickly grew to a scream.

Rose leaned over the crib beside him. "Sh, Rory, it's okay."

Lorelei only cried harder.

"Try picking her up." Rose suggested.

"Are you sure?" Adrian asked nervously.

"Yeah, of course. She's not hungry, I just fed her. You're a new person and you need to hold her to let her know you're safe."

He took a deep breath and reached in. "Hey, there, Rory. Sh. You're okay. I'm your Daddy. I won't hurt you, baby, I promise." He kissed her face and rocked her from side to side. "Sh, you're okay, Rory." He repeated until she finally quieted.

"We'll give you some privacy." Rose smiled and kissed Lorelei's face. "Have fun getting to know your daddy." She whispered. She pulled Dimitri out of the room.

Adrian stood in the middle of the room for a long time, just looking down at the baby in his arms. She looked back at him for a long time before she closed her little eyes and fell asleep. He sat down in the rocking chair.

"You are so much more beautiful in person than in the pictures." He sighed, running his finger down her cheek. "I can't wait for you to meet Sydney and Jill. They are both so excited to see you. Jill is…like your aunt, I guess. There's a big, complicated thing with her. Our minds are connected. She can see into mine. In fact, she's probably watching this right now. And Sydney, well, she's kind of my girlfriend. But not in public. She's got a difficult job that prevents her from actually admitting it and, well, it's hard to explain. But hopefully, one day, she's going to be your stepmother. If I play my cards right."

He looked down at her in silence for a while. He continued to touch her face and hair. He lifted each of her tiny hands and counted her fingers. He ran his finger over the soles of her little feet and counted her toes. She twitched.

"Did that tickle?" He ran his finger over her foot again and she squinted her eyes open in annoyance. He chuckled. "I'm sorry, Rory. Daddy's being mean, isn't he?" He kissed her face again. "I'll let you get to sleep more comfortably." He stood and put her back in her crib.

She opened her eyes for a moment and then closed them again and went to sleep once more.

Adrian stood and watched her a few minutes before he stepped away and walked back into the living room. He stood awkwardly for a moment as he watched Rose curled into Dimitri's side on the couch. Then he took a seat in a nearby chair.

"She looks even more like you now." He commented.

"That's funny, I was starting to think she looked a little more like you." Rose smiled. "Especially around the eyes."

Adrian grinned. "Well, thank you."

"She really likes it when Dimitri sings to her in Russian."

"Oh, I bet she does." He nodded. "You're probably a better singer than me."

"I do my best." Dimitri responded.

"I have some presents." Adrian walked to the front door and picked up the bag he'd dropped there. "Jill has been learning to sew. She made a few outfits." He pulled them out and sat them on the couch beside Rose.

"Oh, these are cute! Look, Dimitri."

"Very sweet. Tell Jill we thank her."

"I will." Adrian took out another item. "These are from Sydney." He shook the socks to make them rattle.

Rose smiled and took them from him. "What does she think of all this?"

He grinned proudly, "She's pretty set. She loves me and she thinks Lorelei is amazing and beautiful and…" He shrugged, "She wants to leave the Alchemists so we really can be together."

"That is not going to be easy." Dimitri said.

"No, it won't. But I know she'll do what she has to. She's not happy where she is and I hate to see it."

Rose nodded. "But are you sure she's really up for it with a baby on board?"

Adrian thought for a minute and then asked, "Dimitri, have you once since Rose told you about the baby thought that this wasn't something you wanted?"

"No. Because I love Rose. And I love Lorelei. There is nothing in this world that could tear me away from them."

"That's how I feel about Sydney and I _really_ hope she feels that for me. She never gets annoyed or upset with me when I go on forever about our daughter. She asks questions and is making plans for our future. She told me she hopes one day we can all be a very interesting blended family."

Rose laughed. "I look forward to that too. Two dhampirs, a Moroi, and a human sharing a dhampir kid. It's better than those trashy soaps I watch when Rory keeps me awake all day."

Adrian chuckled. "I've been watching a few of those myself. Speaking of melodrama, I should probably make a trip to see my dad."

The guardians exchanged a look.

"What? Has he done something?"

Dimitri said, "He came here yelling at Rose that she is trying to get Ivashkov money. That she got pregnant on purpose. I had to physically remove him from our home."

"When did this happen?"

"It's been a few months." Rose said with a shrug.

"You should have told me. I would have talked to him."

"He hasn't tried anything else directly, but Dimitri's heard rumors."

Adrian looked down at his hands. "I'll handle him, Rose. Don't worry. I know Rory wasn't some calculated conception on your part to get my money. I know you both love her and will take the best care of her and raise her well. I can only promise that I will be around as much as possible once Jill can safely come home. You'll probably have to physically remove me from your home."

Dimitri chuckled.

Rose smiled, "You're always welcome to come see Rory. Within reason, of course. She's your daughter, but we need our time, too. When you're back and settled, we'll work out all the details. Are you planning on moving back into your apartment?"

He shook his head. "If all works out for Sydney, she'll be close when she gets out. I want her to be comfortable visiting me and she won't be here. But I also want to be able to see Rory as much as possible. So I'll be living very nearby."

"Like I said, we'll figure it all out when the time comes. And I do hope it's soon. This first year is the most important."

"Yeah. So maybe we can video chat? Is that something that can happen?"

"Absolutely!" Rose said.

Dimitri added, "Rose talks about you to her a lot."

"You do?" Adrian asked.

"Of course. I want her to know you. I was able to get a few pictures of you and I show them to her at least a couple times a day. And I tell her that Daddy loves her just as much as Mommy and Papochka. And that you're doing something very important or you would be here. I'm glad I'm not just making empty promises."

"I'm glad you're not either." He reached into the bag once more. "This is from me. The checking account for Rory. There's ten thousand dollars in there right now. Use it for whatever she needs. Don't use it at all, I don't care. I just want you to have it. And if you ever need anything more than is in there, then let me know and I'll put more in."

"Adrian, you don't have to do that."

"She's my daughter. I want to help. And like I said, you don't have to use it, just take it for emergencies."

Rose took the checkbook from him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He sat back in the chair once more. "I'm going to be here a couple weeks."

"If you want to stay here, you can. We have a guest room. I know you have your apartment, but you're welcome here. Always."

"Thank you, Rose."

They talked for a long time. Rose and Dimitri told Adrian about every day of Lorelei's life. When she started crying, they all exchanged looks.

"May I?" Adrian asked anxiously.

"Go for it." Rose said. "Diapers are in the cabinet under the changing table."

"I'll make the bottle." Dimitri kissed Rose's cheek and then walked toward the kitchen.

Rose followed Adrian into the nursery and watched from the doorway as he fumbled through changing his first diaper.

"Am I doing this right?" He asked.

She chuckled. "Yeah. Be happy it's just wet. It could be a lot worse."

"Oh, I've heard some stories in my day." Adrian laughed and buttoned her onsie back up. He gathered the baby to his chest. "There you go, Rory. Nice and dry and in Daddy's arms."

"Congratulations on a successful first diaper change." Dimitri held out a bottle. "Would you like to do the honors?"

He took the bottle. "Thanks."

They walked back into the living room.

"Dimitri is the diaper pro." Rose commented. "He can change her faster than me."

"I helped my mother a little." He grinned and kissed her again. "Are you hungry? Want me to order something?"

"I think we have plenty of that chili you cooked yesterday."

He nodded. "Does that sound good, Adrian?"

"Sounds great." Adrian said, staring transfixed down at Lorelei.

"Fantastic!" He walked out of the room.

Rose chuckled. "He wishes he could be in the Wild West sometimes."

"I remember you saying something about that once." He finally looked up. "I think I'll stay at least today. I have to go see my dad and set some things right. No one will bother you."

"Don't make it worse for yourself."

"I won't."

"You need to burp her. Put her on your shoulder and pat her back between the shoulder blades."

He kissed Lorelei's face as he lifted her to his shoulder. "So who is going to take care of her while you two are doing guardian things?"

"She'll go to the same daycare as the other dhampir babies."

"I'd like her to have a nanny."

"I bet you would." She smirked. "If that's what you want, then we'll look into it. But I don't want her to get special treatment. She may be an Ivashkov, but she's also a dhampir and I want her to be raised as one."

"Without any choice?"

"She'll be trained the way Dimitri and I were. After that, she can decide if she wants to go on being a guardian or do something else."

Adrian nodded. "Please don't push it."

"We won't. I feel that if anything ever goes farther with Sydney and you two have a baby that she'll choose to keep it home and raise it among the humans. Rory will see how we live and see how _you_ live and she can make a choice. I'll always give our daughter choices, but she _will_ be trained. I won't back down on that."

"And you shouldn't. I'm just glad we can be clear on both sides."

Rose nodded.

"Roza, Adrian, dinner is ready." Dimitri called from the kitchen.

"She's still awake. Do I need to put her in her crib?" Adrian asked.

"Put her in this." Rose walked across the room and picked up a little bouncy seat. "Even though Dimitri usually holds her while he eats, this is where she should be."

* * *

_Translation: Zakroy svoy rot! = Shut your mouth!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: I have finished my polish of my original story. If you would like to read it, go over to fictionpress and look for _Between Friends_ by Danielle Cheri._

_I'm going to try to update this again in a couple days. I have some great stuff planned. Thank you for sticking with me and for reviewing. Please let me know what you think._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Eleven

"She's amazing, Sydney." Adrian said into the phone, leaning over Lorelei's crib. "She looks so much like Rose. And she and Dimitri are being so great about everything. I'm staying with them this week."

"And how is it all working out?" She was whispering.

"Pretty good. I feel at home." He paused. "I wish you could be here with me."

"I wish it, too."

"Where are you right now?"

"The back deck everyone is still asleep inside. You?"

"Walking back to the guest room." He sat down on the bed. "What are you wearing?"

She giggled. "A plain blue nightgown. What are _you_ wearing?"

"Plaid pajama pants and my AYE shirt." He said proudly.

She giggled again. "I bet you look cute."

"Always, Sage." He crooned. "And I bet you make that plain nightgown sexy."

"Only to you, maybe."

He laughed. "Can I come to your dreams?"

"It's time to wake up. Tonight. I know you're on their schedule, but I'm not."

"Did you sleep well?"

"No." She admitted. "I keep worrying what my sister will give away."

"I'll be back soon to help keep an eye on her."

"I wish I didn't have to."

"I know." He sighed. "I just want all this over. I'll move here. You'll go to school nearby. We'll spend the rest of our lives together raising Lorelei with Rose and Dimitri."

"So you've finally dropped the subject of us having any?"

"I know your stance on it. I won't push it. We have Rory. She'll be enough. And if you ever change your mind..."

"Ask me again in about ten years."

"You think you'll have changed your mind then?"

"Maybe. And Rory shouldn't have to be an only child forever. I like having sisters. I bet Dimitri does, too. You and Rose don't know what you're missing." She chuckled.

"I've been up all night, baby. I'm exhausted."

"All right, honey, go to sleep. I'll talk to you later."

"I love you, Sydney."

"Oh, Adrian, you have no idea how much I love you." She sighed.

Adrian put his phone on his chest and stared up at the ceiling. The windows were covered in heavy curtains that blocked out the daylight, but a sliver peeked out of the side. He walked over and pulled it away. Dhampir guards wandered from one end of Court to another. No one else was about.

He dropped the curtain and went back toward the bed. It was true what he'd told Sydney. He had been up all night with Rose and Dimitri, taking turns with Lorelei. But after being on human schedule for so long, sleep was illusive. He felt like he should be doing something despite his exhaustion.

He heard Lorelei start to cry and rolled out of bed to see about her. He found Rose already fussing over her.

She sat down in the rocking chair and spoke softly to her as she unbuttoned her shirt. She noticed Adrian watching and smiled. "I thought you would be asleep."

He grinned "I thought so too, but no such luck."

She looked down at the baby in her arms.

"I didn't think you did that."

"Only a couple times a day. I'll need to stop soon. That's why we feed her formula. I'm already struggling with getting back into shape."

"You'll bounce back. I know you will. Partly because dhampirs do, but mostly because Rose Hathaway won't let anything hold her back."

She nodded.

"I'll stop being a perv now." He started to leave.

"Adrian, I know this isn't what either of us would want—"

He turned back. "It isn't what I wanted before, but it's what I want now. Rose, I want to help. As soon as I'm able to get back, I'll take more actual responsibility, I promise."

"I believe you, Adrian."

"I'm going to try to sleep now."

Adrian fell asleep, but he awoke every time Lorelei did. He poked his head into the room, but either Rose or Dimitri were already there when he came in. He stood awkwardly for a few moments, but then wandered back to the guest room, feeling like he was intruding.

Late in the day, Dimitri called to him, "I have to get ready for work. Would you take over? Rose just got back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Adrian asked anxiously.

"Of course." He kissed the baby's face and murmured, "Papochka lyubit tebya, Sasha. Byt' khoroshim dlya Mommy i Daddy segodnya." He kissed her again and then handed her gently to him. "You don't mind that, do you?"

"As long as you aren't telling her what a dick I can be."

"You aren't. And I'm not. I promise." He ran a finger over Lorelei's cheek. "I'm not an evil man, Adrian. I hope you don't think that."

"None of this was ever your fault. I take a lot of the blame myself." He looked down at the baby. "She's definitely not part of all the bad things. So we need to move past it. She's the best thing that could have ever happened to any of us."

Dimitri nodded. "Take good care of her." He walked around Adrian and disappeared into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Adrian heard the murmur of voices behind the door, but didn't catch any of the conversation. He continued to watch Lorelei as she looked back at him.

"Your eyes look a little lighter today, Rory." He said softly. "But just a little."

He continued to talk to her softly for a long time, even after she fell asleep and Dimitri left the apartment. He finally put her in the bouncy seat from the night before and went to work making breakfast.

Rose came in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Hi." She leaned over the baby. "Are you watching Daddy? Hm?" She pulled Lorelei into her arms. "Are you making pancakes?"

"Yes. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. I usually just pour myself a bowl of cereal." She paused and then spoke softly, "We haven't talked about it yet, but if something ever happens to me, I want you to look after her."

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Rose."

"I need you to promise me anyway, Adrian." She insisted.

He turned and gave her a stern look. "Don't do anything stupid. Ever. She needs you. You're just a bit more stable than me. She's kept me grounded, but I feel Spirit pulling at me all the time."

She walked closer. "I'll do my best. But you know the nature of my job and the way I have to live my life. I'll give up everything for Lissa. I'll even give my life for her; I've done it once already. I'll do what I have to. It's what these marks on my neck signify. I'm not planning on doing anything stupid, but I will defend our queen."

"Rose—"

"Adrian, I will protect our daughter. I promise you. But you have to promise me, too, that you will take over if I can't to that."

He clenched his jaw a moment and then nodded. "If anything happens to you, I'll take care of her. I promise."

She nodded. "Good. Now finish up those pancakes, I'm starving."

He chuckled and went back to the stove. "Are you learning Russian, too?"

"Yes. I asked Dimitri to teach me before we knew about Rory. Him talking to her in the language was an unconscious decision. He just started chattering to my belly one day."

"I guess that's kind of cute." He said reluctantly, placing a plate of pancakes on the table in front of her.

"It was annoying sometimes. Especially when I didn't know most of what he said."

"Did you hear him this morning?"

She shook her head. "No. But he mostly tells her how much he loves her or how beautiful and special she is."

"I learned a little in school, but I haven't used it in years, so I don't remember."

"If you want, I'm sure Dimitri would teach you a few essential phrases in case she starts talking in Russian first. We want her to be bilingual."

Adrian nodded and sat down beside her. "I wish I could stay forever."

Rose held out the baby. "I wish you could too."

He took Lorelei and held her to his chest. "I really wish Sydney and Jill could have come with me."

"Jill can't be here." Rose reminded him. "She has to stay hidden."

"I want it all ended, Rose. How much longer?"

"We're close. I know we've been close for a while, but it will happen soon. We'll contain the threat. Jill can come back. _You_ can come back. Watch your daughter grow."

"If I get you a camera, will you send me videos?"

"Yes. If you think that won't just make it all worse."

"It will make it better, I think." He kissed Lorelei's tiny face. "I hope."

They sat in silence for a while, eating, lost in their own thoughts. Lorelei started fussing. Adrian tried to sooth her, but it didn't work.

"She needs to be changed. That's her wet cry."

"There's a difference in her cries?"

Rose nodded and reached out for her. "I was a little skeptical myself when the nurse told me. But it's true. If you were around her enough, you'd figure it out." She shut her mouth and looked away. "I didn't mean that in a rude way."

"I know you didn't." He still sounded hurt. He passed the baby over.

"Please don't do that, Adrian." She begged softly before she walked away.

He sat back and closed his eyes, letting his magic take over. But Sydney wasn't asleep yet. He couldn't find her. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number.

"Adrian, are you okay?" She said in greeting. "Jill said she just felt you go suddenly…off. She had trouble explaining it."

"I'm better now hearing your voice." He said smoothly.

"Tell me." She said gently.

"I don't want to leave here, but I know I have to."

Rose reappeared and he quickly left the apartment with a wave.

"You don't have to. Jill will be fine."

"No, I need to be there for her. I just don't want to have to leave my daughter."

He could hear her breathing on the other end.

"Sydney, say something." He sat down on a bench conveniently placed near the door and took out a cigarette.

"I know it's going to be hard, but you have other responsibilities."

"That word again. You don't think I fucking know that?" He snapped. He started rambling then. "Responsibilities. I have a lot of those. To you. To Jill. To Lorelei. Rose, Dimitri, Lissa. My family name."

"Adrian, please don't give in to Spirit right now." She begged softly.

He closed his eyes and took a long drag from his cigarette. "I miss you and I just really wanted to hear your voice."

"I'm going to bed soon. You're always welcome in my dreams. Especially right now. Come let me hold you a while."

"I may take you up on that."

They were both quiet for a moment.

"I'll let you go now." Sydney said reluctantly.

"Can I talk to Jill?" He asked.

"Yeah. Hold on."

A few moments later, Jill's voice filled the line. "I don't know what either of them do to you, but works."

"Either of who?"

"Sydney and Rory." She said matter-of-factly.

"Must be what unconditional love feels like." He admitted.

"Must be."

"How are you holding up, kid?"

She sighed. "Eddie's been flirting with me."

He laughed. "And that's a bad thing. I thought you wanted that."

"Not in front of Zoe and Angeline. It's weird. And Zoe is constantly judging me."

"Talk to Sydney."

"I have." Her voice was full of frustration. "No matter how many talks Sydney has with her, it won't change anything. She hates us, Adrian."

"She can't really help it, Jill. She's gone her entire life being told how unnatural we all are."

"So has Sydney." She pointed out.

"But Sydney got to be away from home for a while and experience a little more in life."

Jill let out a deep breath. "I guess that makes sense."

"The tattoo has a bit of Compulsion built into it. It's probably forcing her not to see the humanity in us all. Which is underhanded and very unfortunate. Just hang on a few more days and I'll be back and then you and Sydney can escape to my apartment."

"We could just go now. I have that extra key you gave me." She pointed out.

Adrian snickered. "Of course you do. You and Sydney are free to go there. Or you and Eddie so you can make out or something."

"Adrian!"

He laughed out loud. "If you do get with him, make sure you use protection."

"Would you stop?" He could almost hear the blush in her voice.  
"I just want you to be careful. Some of us can't afford unplanned pregnancies."

She laughed. "I know. _If_ it ever happens, I promise we'll be very careful. I don't think it would be smart for the queen's sister to have a dhampir baby, anyway. And this is just a crush."

"Seems quite a bit more than that."

"Adrian?" Rose said from the door. "I'm about to give Rory a bath. Would you like to help?"

He looked up and smiled her. "Sure." He spoke into the phone, "I'll talk to you later, Jailbait." He stood and took the baby from her mother. "Ready to get clean, baby girl?"

Adrian watched as Rose undressed the baby and sat her in a small baby tub in the larger bathtub. "Come closer." She reached across to the ledge that held the soap. "Give me that wash cloth there on the sink, please?"

He handed it over and kneeled down beside her.

Rose talked as she started the cleaning process. "She loves her bath. She's going to be a little prima donna, I think. Always clean. Probably going to freak out if she gets the smallest stain on her clothes."

Adrian chuckled. "I think it will be finny if she turns out to be one of those kids who loves to play in the mud."

She laughed. "I bet that's how it will be."

"She's going to be great, Rose. I can already tell."

"We'll always think it, at least. Hold out that towel." She lifted Rory out of the tub and passed her to Adrian.

He wrapped the towel around her, gently drying her face. He kissed her. "I can't get enough of you, Lorelei."

"It's hard, isn't it?" Rose stood and walked out of the room. "She can wear one of the outfits her Aunt Jill made for her."

"Aunt Jill?" Adrian asked as he followed.

"Of course." She handed over the clothes and diaper. "Get her dressed, Daddy. I need to take my own shower. I promised Lissa we'd come visit, if you want to join."

"I need to go see my dad."

She nodded. "Whatever you feel is necessary. But we'll be fine without you putting yourself in that position."

"I'm going, Rose."

"Okay." She patted his arm. "Best of luck. You should put her on her blanket on the floor for a while." She suggested as she walked out of the room.

* * *

_Translation: Papochka loves you, Sasha. Be good for Mommy and Daddy today._


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note: Some lovely fluffy bits here. Amongst the thorns, anyway. The next chapter will be skipping ahead a bit. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following!_

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Twelve

"Well, this is a surprise." Nathan said when Adrian walked into his study.

"I need to talk to you about Rose and Dimitri and the baby." He said before his father could say anything else.

"And what about it?" He kept his eyes on the desk and sounded bored.

"I don't know who started it or who you told to do it, but the rumors have to stop. Rose didn't dupe me into anything. And she even refused financial help."

Nathan snorted.

Adrian advanced and leaned in close. "Look at me, damn it!"

The older man raised his eyes slowly. "Yes?"

"I made that baby and I'm taking responsibility for her. I'm not like you and everyone else who can just ignore their children."

"I gave you everything you needed."

"Like hell you did. And I'm not just talking about me. I'd bet everything I own that I have quite a few dhampir half-siblings out there that you kept secret. _You_ were probably the one who paid some poor girl off to hide away with her baby until it was old enough to be trained."

"You'd bet everything you own? I gave you the money to buy the things you own. So you really don't own anything."

"You can stop giving me money if you want, but you'll have Mom to answer to."

Nathan sighed and sat back. He clasped his hands over his stomach. "You're my heir apparent, Adrian. A Royal. Someone who should have a bit more pride in where he came from."

"And?" He asked rudely.

"And I suggest you give the guardians the money they want and leave it alone."

Adrian slammed his fist down on the desk. "I'm going to say this slowly so that you get it this time: She doesn't want my fucking money. She refused it. And I'm not going to leave it alone because this is my baby we're talking about. I know some people can just walk away, but I can't." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen. He shoved it under his father's nose. "There. Her. She's the one you just expect me to walk away from. I don't care that I'm a Royal. I don't care that she's the unexpected result of a lapse in judgment. I don't care that she's a dhampir. She's mine. I'm going to take care of her. And you can either support me on this or you can shut up about it. At least where Rose and Dimitri are concerned."

Nathan shoved his son's hand away. "I didn't start any rumors. I let off a little steam to family and friends. Anything that comes from that isn't my fault. Don't blame me. _I_ don't acknowledge this child. I _hate_ that she has my last name—"

"It's mine, too. And I can give it to whoever I think deserves it—"

"I won't say anything else ill about her. As far as I'm concerned, she doesn't exist. And you can tell Rose and Dimitri that if I see them trying to get anything out of me, I will have plenty to say then."

Adrian took a step back. "She's amazing, Dad."

"I bet you would think so."

He sighed. "If I hear of anything else—"

"It didn't come from me." He bent over his desk once more. "Anything more you wanted to say?"

"No, we're done." He turned and stomped out of the house. He was fuming as he walked toward the palace.

He entered Rose and Dimitri's apartment using the guest code he'd been given. He stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes. He let his magic take over. Sydney, dressed in the "plain" nightgown she said she was wearing the night before, stood across from him in his Palm Springs apartment. It didn't look very plain to his eyes. And anything on her, plain or no, never really looked it.

"So we're going for casual?" She asked as she took a seat on the plaid couch.

"I wanted to see the nightgown. You _do_ look sexy in it."

She blushed and looked away. "And you get jeans and a t-shirt?"

He smiled and waved his hand dramatically. His clothes shifted to the pajama pants and t-shirt he'd told her he was wearing earlier. He sat down sideways on the couch. "I just had a talk with my dad."

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "He's refusing to acknowledge Lorelei. I didn't expect he would really."

She reached across the space between them and took his hand.

"I just want him to leave Rose and Dimitri alone. I didn't think he'd really just deny her existence."

She kissed his hand and then pushed him back on the couch, stretching out on top of him. "Maybe one day he'll change."

Adrian snorted. "And maybe one day Hell will freeze over."

She kissed his jaw and then rested her head on his chest. "So, talk about her. Tell me everything. I know you're dying to. And pictures really don't do her justice, I'm sure."

He smoothed his hands over her back. "She's so tiny. I've never held a baby so small. And her eyes are just…I don't know…Rose says they look like mine. I can't tell. But they're brown now. A nice, medium brown. Close to Rose's. I read that they may change over time. I'm kind of hoping for them to be green in the end. And she has a little patch of hair right on the top of her head. It's dark. And I swear she was smirking at me earlier."

"Like father, like daughter." Sydney giggled.

"Exactly." He chuckled. He lifted up a piece of Sydney's hair. "You'll be the odd man out. Her hair is going to be dark unless she decides to change it."

"Our kids would have a chance at light hair. A small one."

"_Our_ kids, did you say?"

"Like I told you, I don't think Rory should be an only child. After I have my degree and go on my internship and am a successful architect, maybe we can discuss getting married and having a baby. In that order."

"You want to wait that long to be married?"

She pushed herself up and looked at him. "Are you itching to marry me or something?"

He cupped her cheeks. "I'd marry you tomorrow. I wanted to marry you after I kissed you that first time. And when you found me at that museum. And now walking through your dream, I still see all the things I wouldn't mind being attached to forever."

"We won't have forever."

"We've got at least fifty years, I'd say. Maybe more."

"I'll take any time I can actually be with you and not have to hide."

He pulled her down for a kiss. "Rose and Lorelei are coming back."

"So go be with your baby. Call me before you go to bed." She kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." They shared another kiss. "Sleep well."

"Thanks. Send me a picture to wake up to."

"I will." He kissed her as he let the dream fade away and returned to his world.

Rose peeked in from Lorelei's room. "Are you done with the magic?"

He grinned, "For now. How could you tell?"

"I've been with Lissa when she practices." She disappeared into the room.

"How is Her Majesty?"

"A little put out that you haven't paid her a visit. She has some free time tomorrow." She came back into the living room and passed Lorelei to Adrian. "Dimitri should be home in a couple hours. And she'll be asleep again soon. I've been getting in some sleep when she does. And I'm exhausted. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to lie down."

"Go on. That's fine."

"If you want to take her on a walk or anything, you can. Just leave a note so that I don't freak out if I wake up and you're gone." She ran her fingers over the baby's cheek. "I love you, Rory." She kissed Lorelei's forehead.

"Rose, thank you." He said as she stepped back.

She smiled and waved.

Adrian put Lorelei's blanket on the floor and placed her on it. He leaned over her and watched her for several long minutes. She stared at the ceiling. Her eyes shifted to him and watched him with the same curious scrutiny he was giving her.

"You are just the most perfect creature, Lorelei." He smoothed his hand over her head and rubbed her belly. He counted her fingers and toes again and again. He tickled her ribs. "Lorelei Ivashkov is the cutest baby ever born. Yes she is. Of course she is. Her mommy is beautiful and her daddy is the handsomest Moroi that ever lived. And I'm charming, too. I hope you get my charm, Rory. And your mother's drive. Because it got her a lot of places." He tickled her neck. "Sydney wants pictures."

He took out his phone and snapped a picture of her, awake for the moment. Then he stretched out beside her and held the camera out. "Smile, baby girl." He took another picture. Then he kissed her cheek as he took another.

He finally put the camera away and watched her as she slept. He felt calm just being in her presence. Like with Sydney, but not entirely. This was a different sort of calm.

Dimitri shook his shoulder some time later.

"I didn't realize I was asleep." He rubbed his eyes. He looked beside him. "Where's Rory?"

"I put her in her crib." The guardian explained.

"Rose is napping."

"I know. She's sleeping a little longer. She didn't sleep well all day."

"Not to sound arrogant, but was it because of me?"

"A little. She wasn't sure how you would be." Dimitri sat down on the sofa. "What do you think now that you've spent all day with her?"

"I think you and Rose are doing a great job." Adrian sat down in an adjacent chair. "I took care of my dad. He said he wasn't the one who started the rumors, but I don't know if I believe him. He said he would act like Rory doesn't exist. And he'll leave you and Rose alone as long as you leave him alone. I told him that shouldn't be a fear of his."

"Thank you, Adrian."

"She exists to _me_, though. So anything that I can help with, I will. I really am serious about that."

Dimitri nodded. "Good. Good to know you're not like all the others."

"It's not right for them to be that way."

Rose came out and stretched. "You two going on and on in here; I can't sleep."

"Sorry." Adrian said.

Dimitri pulled her down onto the couch beside him. "How else should I entertain our guest, Roza? Just let him stare at the walls in silence?"

"He seems pretty content to stare at Rory."

"It's not as though you and I don't do the same thing." He grinned.

Adrian chuckled. "Does it get old?"

Dimitri shook his head. "She really is the most perfect creature put on this earth."

"I think we're all a little biased, though." Rose said.

"I don't care, Roza. I'll proclaim her perfection to the ends of the world." He kissed her.

"I think we're making Adrian uncomfortable, Comrade." She combed her fingers through his hair.

"Don't mind me." Adrian said, standing. "I think I _will_ go stare at Rory for a while." He drifted off to Lorelei's room. He sent Sydney the pictures and got a response, unexpectedly.

"_You're about ten times hotter with her._" She wrote.

He laughed to himself. "_Gee, thanks. Maybe I should just carry her with me everywhere._"

"_She'd make a cute accessory._"

"_She would._"

"_Call me?_"

"_Why would I do that?_"

"_Because you love me._"

He laughed and dialed her number. "Hey, beautiful."

"Are you talking to me or Rory?" She challenged.

"You for now. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. And I had this really great dream about you."

"You did?"

"After you left, my subconscious took over. We were in a park with Rory. She was about three. You and I were under a nice, shady tree and she was running around after a dog. I had a ring on my finger, I was playing with it. And I told you I was pregnant. And you were so happy. We both were."

"That sounds like a great dream."

"It does." She sighed.

"Sydney…" He took a deep breath, "I'm going to ask you a bit more properly when I get back, but would you be willing to be engaged to me?"

"I'd be very willing. Except I hate that we have to keep it all a secret."

"It's not completely a secret. We just don't talk about it. Everyone's figured it out. Except maybe Angeline. Even Rose and Dimitri know."

"I'm getting out of the Alchemists soon."

"I know."

"So, yes, I'd be engaged to you."

"Good." He sighed. "I'll get you a ring and ask you officially when you least expect it."

"No ring, Adrian. Not yet."

He hesitated. "Okay."

"But ask. Go for it. I'll say yes."

A laugh bubbled out of him. "I love you."

She laughed with him. "I love you, too."

"I'll let you go about your day, baby."

"I wish you were here."

"I do too. Soon, though. I'll be there soon." He hung up and smoothed his fingers over Lorelei's cheek, staring at her in wonder.


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: I hope this chapter finds you well. Some great things happen here, including some Jeddie goodness! Thank you for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Thirteen

"Can we go yet?" Jill asked anxiously, looking at her phone.

Sydney nodded and picked up her keys and purse. She said nothing to the others as she walked out the door and headed for her Adrian's car. He'd let her borrow it for the week knowing how much she loved driving it.

They rode along in silence for a while. Sydney noticed Jill kept her eyes closed. She appeared to be asleep, but Sydney new better. She was looking through Adrian's eyes. A small smile played on her lips.

"They're about to land." Jill said as they got closer to the airport.

"Good." Sydney said in relief.

"He's ready to see you, too. If you want to drop me off somewhere so you can have time alone, I'd be fine with that."

"No, we'll all hang out together." Sydney smiled sideways as the Moroi princess. "Not that you being away would be any different. You still see everything."

Jill laughed. "I've mostly got the block figured out. If you want to…do more…it would be fine. I'm good. You know I'm already used to it."

"I wish you weren't." Sydney mumbled. She pulled into a spot in the parking lot and turned to the girl. "Adrian and I are taking it slow. Mostly for me because I've never had a relationship like this. But also because we've agreed to give you some more time to work on blocking us out. He wants to work on it too. He said he is starting to feel it when you're looking in."

"I really don't care. I don't know how many times I have to tell you. Don't hold back because of me." She got out of the car and headed inside.

Sydney followed. They made their way through the airport to the arrival's section.

Jill spotted him first. "Adrian!" she called, pushing through the crowd and throwing herself at her friend.

"Hey, Jailbait." Adrian said affectionately as he wrapped his arms around her. "You miss me or something?"

"Maybe a little." She kissed his cheek and stepped away.

Sydney stepped up to him. "Hi."

"Hi." He said before he pulled her close for a kiss. He rested his forehead against hers. "God, I missed you."

"Me too." She whispered.

"Come on." He tugged Jill along by her wrist a moment before he wrapped his arm around Sydney's waist. "I'm ready to be in a bed that isn't next to the room containing my baby mama and her lover."

Sydney laughed. "What have you been watching?"

"Daytime TV. It's the best thing that I ever discovered. Living on human schedule really has changed me for the better." He chuckled.

"Back seat!" Jill called, jogging to the car.

Adrian laughed. "Thanks, Jill." He threw his bag to her and then climbed into the front seat. He leaned over the middle and kissed Sydney's cheek. "I can't wait to be alone with you."

"I can't wait either. But it can't happen yet."

"It could if you drop me off somewhere for a few hours." Jill said from the back seat.

"No." Adrian said. "Not without a guardian."

"Then call Eddie and get him to meet me somewhere." She suggested.

"He could use the time away." Sydney contributed.

Adrian squeezed her hand on top of the gear shift. "Call him, Jill. Tell him to meet you at my place."

Jill tapped out the text.

Adrian kissed Sydney's hand. "I have plenty of pictures and stories. So if he wants to see, he better hurry."

Sydney wrapped her index finger around his. "Tell me."

"I miss her, Sage." He said softly.

"I can only imagine."

"I told her all about you. She won't understand yet, of course. But I told her anyway."

"Eddie is on his way." Jill piped up from the back seat. "How's Rose?"

"She's doing well." Adrian smiled. "She's looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. Which is understandable. Rory and I got to watch her and Dimitri work out and spar a bit. It's kind of fascinating. Of course, I paid more attention to Rory."

"Of course." Sydney smirked.

When they pulled up outside of Adrian's apartment, he threw himself out of the car and ran around to the other side. He pulled Sydney out and threw her over his shoulder. "Come on, there's no time to lose."

Sydney squealed and laughed as he bounded up to his door. "You better not drop me."

"Don't worry, baby. I got you." He fumbled in his pocket for the keys. She did slip a bit, but he held tight. He sat her down on the couch and leaned over her, giving her a series of soft kisses before he stepped away.

"Show us the baby pictures." Jill demanded, taking a seat on the couch.

Adrian chuckled and took the bag from her. He plopped down on the couch between them and started digging through his things. "Her eyes are still brown. They might change. I kind of hope they stay that way. She'll fit in with Rose and Dimitri a lot better. But I think she'll be cutest with green eyes." He took out a small photo album. "Some of these they already took. And then a few more while I was there."

Jill and Sydney both leaned close. Sydney slipped an arm behind Adrian's back and rested her head on his shoulder.

"This is the day they brought her home." Adrian explained, showing them a picture of the baby wrapped in a pink blanket. "Rose said she cried most of the way. But as soon as Dimitri started whispering to her in Russian, she calmed down. He does that a lot, I noticed. I think it might be easier for her to understand. Either that or she just really likes the way his voice sounds."

"He does have a nice voice." Jill commented.

He turned to another: Lorelei asleep on Dimitri's chest; he smiled proudly into the camera. "This is Rose favorite." He flipped to the next. This one contained Rose with the baby asleep in her arms, she was staring down at her, transfixed. "And this one's Dimitri's. They're both really cute." A series of pictures followed of Lorelei in different outfits. Sometimes awake, sometimes asleep. A few times she looked into the camera with what appeared to be a smirk on her face.

"She looks just like you there." Sydney said, pointing to one he paused at. She wore a onsie with the saying, "Too cute" and it fit the picture perfectly.

"She does." Jill agreed.

There was a knock on the door and Jill bolted to it. She pulled Eddie inside and pushed him down on the couch, sitting on his lap. "She's so cute, Eddie."

Looking sideways at the blatant display of affection, Adrian said, "This is a new development."

"There's not enough room on the couch." Jill said with a smirk to rival his and wrapped her arm around Eddie's neck.

The guardian blushed slightly. "We don't get a lot of time alone at the house. Sometimes she takes advantage." He explained.

"Don't tell me you don't like it." Jill countered.

"Well, of course I do." He replied, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

Adrian showed them more pictures. The album concluded with a series of photos with him holding Lorelei, feeding her, changing her, playing with her.

"Rose really likes to take pictures of her. Dimitri says she's like a changed woman now." He ran a finger over the last picture. "So what do you guys think?"

"She's pretty." Eddie said softly, smoothing a hand over Jill's back.

Jill grinned. "Being able to look through you, I got to know her pretty well already. She's amazing. She's perfect."

Sydney kissed his cheek. "I think she's going to take after her father and break a lot of hearts."

"Not yours, I hope." Adrian said softly.

"It wouldn't be you that broke it in the end." She said just as softly.

Jill asked Eddie, "Will you take me to that burger place I like? With the shakes and the amazing fries. I'm kind of hungry."

"Of course. But I know the reason you like it so much is because it's far enough away that no one knows that we're pretending to be related."

"Hey, I'd like to kiss my boyfriend every once in a while."

"You find ways to kiss me all the time." He argued kindly.

She giggled and pressed her lips to his. "So are you taking me?"

"Why wouldn't I? I like to go on real date with my girlfriend sometimes."

"Take good care of my car." Sydney called as they walked to the door.

"No problem."

Jill lingered. She pulled Adrian away and murmured too low for Eddie and Sydney to hear.

"Do I need to give you all the warnings again?" She asked.

Eddie shook his head. "I think I know them by heart now. Do I need to give _you_ all the warnings again?"

Sydney shook her head. "I've got them all committed to memory. Hammered in all my life."

He nodded. "Have fun."

Adrian walked Jill back to the door. "We'll be okay, Jill. Don't do anything stupid."

"We won't." Eddie assured him as he opened the door.

Adrian closed the door behind them and leaned against it. Sydney watched him a moment before she walked across the room and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you." He said as he held her close.

"You've said that a time or two." She commented.

"I know. But I really missed you, Sydney." He kissed her forehead. "Will you come lay in bed with me?"

"As long as we keep our clothes on." She stepped back, taking his hand and leading him down the hall.

"Damn. And here I was thinking I'd _finally_ get to see your boobs."

She laughed. "Nope. Not yet. Not for a while longer." She sat on the edge of the bed and removed her shoes before resting her head on the pillow.

Adrian did the same and pulled her close. His hand rested on Sydney's hip as he stared into her eyes. He pressed his lips to hers a moment. "Are you really okay with this?"

"As long as you don't try to pressure me to get naked—"

"No. About Rory. Are you sure you're okay with her?"

She smiled and combed her fingers through his hair and clasped his hand under the pillow. "I wouldn't be here with you if I wasn't. And I wouldn't want to see the pictures and hear the stories if I wasn't. I wouldn't be risking my _life_ if I wasn't." She kissed him gently. "She's a gorgeous baby with an equally gorgeous father who I am completely head over heels for."

"You know, when I asked you to marry me…"

She kissed him again. "Don't ask again yet." She rolled onto her back and pulled him on top of her. "Just kiss me for a while. I really did miss you, too."

He threaded his fingers through hers. He smiled at her briefly before he claimed her mouth. All their kisses to this point had been rather chaste. This one wasn't.

Sydney hungrily opened her mouth to his. Their tongues danced together fiercely. Adrian lifted their hands up above their heads. Sydney wrapped her leg around his. He moaned into her mouth and pressed his knee between her legs. A small whimper escaped her.

He lifted his mouth away just enough to murmur, "So eager today."

She caught his mouth with hers once more without a verbal response. She flipped him onto his back and straddled him. She slipped a hand under his shirt as her mouth moved across his jaw and down his neck to the perfect spot she'd discovered just before he had left for Court.

She sucked hard, eliciting a groan from deep in his throat that ended in a whine and a barely audible, "I love you."

She lifted her head and looked down at him with a smile.

He looked back with eyes smoldering. They were an even richer green than before.

Sydney could feel every bit of herself as it pressed against him. She could also feel his growing arousal and she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do about it.

Adrian whispered, "Your call, Sydney."

She nodded and pressed another kiss to his lips before rolling away. "I'm sorry."

"Why do you always apologize when you stop? You know it's okay."

"But uncomfortable."

"Yeah, a little." He admitted. "But I'm a normal guy. I've gotten more awkward erections in my life."

"So you're saying this is awkward?" She asked nervously.

He rolled over and pulled her back to him. "No. Definitely not. I don't want you to feel awkward. That's not what this is about. I love you and I'll wait as long as you want."

"I don't want to wait forever."

"I know."

"But I don't want to do anything right now beyond kissing."

"And how many times do I have to tell you that's fine, baby. We're okay. I love you. I love you more than I love sex. And you are so much more to me than the physical parts of it, anyway."

She kissed him. "It'll be soon."

He smiled. "We don't have to go all the way the first time. Baby steps are best." He kissed her. "I want to explore every inch of you with my mouth first."

"Not today."

"No, not today. But when you're willing, that's what I want. To be naked with you, tasting every inch of you." He pressed his mouth to her shoulder.

She let out a sound like a purr. "That sounds wonderful."

He chuckled. "Just let me know when you're ready."

"Oh, I will."


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's note: Brace yourselves for this chapter._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Fourteen

Adrian pressed his mouth to Sydney's neck, making her giggle. He smiled and covered her mouth with his once more, pushing her back on the couch. She kissed him back, smiling against his mouth. He ran his hand down her side and slipped it under the hem of her shirt.

"May I take this off?" He asked, not moving his lips from hers.

She looked into his eyes uncertainly a moment and then nodded. "Okay. But you have to take yours off, too."

He grinned and sat back, pulling her along with him. He gathered the hem of her shirt and started to raise it above her head when there was a knock at the door.

"Are you expecting someone?" Sydney asked, pulling her shirt out of his grasp.

He shook his head and stood, combing his fingers through his hair. He looked through the peep hole. "Rose?" He opened the door, looking around behind her, "What are you doing here?"

She smiled and looked past him to Sydney on the couch. "Am I interrupting something?"

Adrian glanced back and then shook his head. "What's going on?"

"We came to bring you all home." She said, pulling her phone out of her pocket and typing out a text. "And we have a stow-away." She grinned and looked behind her as Dimitri walked up with a bundle in his arms.

"Rory." He sighed, walking around her to take his daughter from the other man. "Hello, baby girl. I want you to meet someone very special." He walked in and sat down on the couch beside Sydney.

She leaned over and smiled at the baby. "You're so tiny." She stroked the girl's cheek. "And so cute."

Rose leaned over the back of the couch. "She looks like her daddy today."

"She does." Sydney agreed, rubbing Adrian's arm. "What did you mean when you said you were bringing everyone home?"

"I don't know if your people have gotten the memo yet, but an arrest was made yesterday. Several people in on the conspiracy to assassinate Jill to oust Lissa. The threat has been isolated. We were sent to bring you all home to Court." She looked to Sydney. "You and your sister will be reassigned."

Sydney and Adrian locked eyes.

Adrian spoke, "I thought we'd have more warning."

"I thought we would, too." Sydney agreed.

"The threat at Court has been isolated." Rose explained, taking a seat on the coffee table. "But there are still people that are part of the plot outside Court. We have a tip that they have tracked you down. We sent another group of guardians to the house being rented for you to get the others and move you all back to Pennsylvania. Lissa would feel more comfortable if Jill was somewhere surrounded by more guardians. After everything is settled, Sydney, we'll have you and your sister brought to your next destinations."

"Thank you." Sydney stood. "I need to make a few calls." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and disappeared into Adrian's bedroom.

"Not that I'm not happy, but why did you bring her?" Adrian asked.

"I wasn't actually scheduled to be here. I've got the weekend off. But I begged to tag along with her. When we left, the plan was to just take you guys. We weren't sure about what the Alchemists wanted. When we landed we got word that they wanted Sydney and Zoe to come along. I thought you would have to say goodbye to Sydney for a while and I knew you wanted her to meet Rory."

He smiled down at the baby in his arms. "It was risky, Rose."

"I know. But Dimitri is fiercely protective. If a person so much as breathes wrong, he's ready to pounce." She smiled affectionately at the baby in Adrian's arms. "It _was_ risky. But Sydney has as much right as any of us to know her. If it's serious with you, anyway."

"It's pretty serious." He looked at the baby for a moment. "We've discussed getting married."

"And how is that going to work out?"

Sydney stepped out of the bedroom then. "Adrian?"

He looked up.

"I need to talk to you."

He stood and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Sydney stroked Lorelei's cheek. "I just spoke with my superiors. They've changed their minds. They want Zoe and me in St. Louis." She looked up at him. "I'm not ready to leave you."

Adrian reached up and cupped her cheek. "I'm not either."

"I'm getting out. Whatever it takes. And I'm going to college in Pennsylvania. And I'm going to be with you for the rest of my life."

He leaned forward and brushed a kiss to her lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Want to hold her a while?" He held out the baby.

"Sure." She gathered the baby in her arms as they left the bedroom together.

Lorelei made a soft sound and stirred. She had fallen asleep as her father held her.

"She has your nose, Rose." Sydney commented, sitting down on the couch once more.

"You think so?" Rose sat beside her.

"Yeah. But everything else really _is_ Adrian."

The guardian smiled affectionately. "Nathan's not going to be too happy about that."

Sydney said nothing.

Adrian leaned over the back of the couch and kissed her. He sighed. "I need a cigarette."

"So have one, I'm not holding you back."

He swallowed and kissed her again, this time more lingering. "I don't want to leave you."

"I'm not going anywhere for a while." She assured him.

"When do we have to leave?" He asked Rose.

"Four hours." She said. "We need time to refuel and gather everyone and their things."

Dimitri stepped inside. "Roza, I got a call from the others. They are meeting us here."

"I should pack." Adrian pulled the crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one. He moved into the other room.

Lorelei started fussing. Dimitri leaned over her and started murmuring, "Bud'te spokoyny, Sasha. Chto vse v poryadke."

"Your papochki is right." Sydney said with a smile, stroking the baby's cheek.

"She's hungry." Rose said. "She hasn't eaten in a while."

"I will get her stuff from the car." Dimitri turned back toward the door.

"I should see about Adrian." She passed Lorelei to Rose. She walked into Adrian's room to see him throwing his clothes at his suitcase. "What are you going to do about your classes?"

"I'll transfer for the fall semester. Somewhere closer to Court."

"What about all your paintings? And your car?"

"When do you have to leave?"

"We have a flight scheduled for tomorrow."

He sat down. "If I wire some money into your account, would you have the paintings sent to me?"

"I can do that."

"If there's one you want to keep, do it." He rubbed his face. "The Ivashkinator…There are a lot of memories in that car."

She sat down beside him. "Do you _have_ to go back with them?"

He took her hand. "I could probably stay until tomorrow. Drive home. I'll talk to Rose and see if it's an option." He cupped her cheek. "If I do stay, will you stay with me?"

"What about my sister?"

"I can put her up in a hotel."

"She'd appreciate it." She kissed him softly. "I would appreciate it, too."

"What about your stuff?"

"My magic things are with Jill. Zoe will bring me everything else."

He nodded and kissed her once more and walked into the living room. He sat down on the coffee table and motioned Dimitri over to sit with them.

Sydney watched from the bedroom doorway as he pled his case. The dhampirs nodded sympathetically.

Rose handed him his daughter. "I'll make a call." She got up. Dimitri followed.

Sydney wrapped her arms around Adrian from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. She kissed his cheek. "Maybe you can—"

"A Mustang isn't a kid car." He squeezed her hand. "I'll be with her soon enough." He kissed Lorelei's face. "Hi there, baby girl. Are you waking up?"

She waved her hands. Sydney caught one and she wrapped her fingers tightly around the woman's index finger. Sydney sat down with Adrian and they silently watched his baby.

Rose walked back in. "You have the okay to drive. But what does Jill have to say?"

"She hasn't yet." Adrian took his phone out of his pocket. There were no missed calls or texts from the girl she was bonded to. He tapped out a quick text, "_Talk to me_."

He got a quick reply. "_I didn't want to intrude. Almost there._"

There was a lot of chaos when all the others arrived. Zoe and Sydney sat off to the side and talked about the possibilities for their next assignments. Sydney didn't say anything about wanting to get out of the Alchemists. She knew if Zoe knew it could mean hindrances put in her path to prevent it.

Dimitri explained the situation to the group. He was obviously the leader in this mission. Rose watched him admirably. He was still her Russian god in so many ways.

Adrian didn't put Lorelei down the entire time. He excused himself from the group to change her diaper. Sydney watched him as admirably as Rose watched Dimitri. She was grateful for the chance to have a more proper good-bye.

Finally everyone headed out. Jill hugged Adrian tightly and whispered to him. Adrian nodded back and gave her a smile. He smoothed a hand over her hair as she nodded and stepped away.

Adrian kissed Lorelei. "I love you, Rory. Be good for Mommy and Papochki. I'll see you in a few days."

"It was lovely meeting you, Rory." Sydney said, stroking her cheek. "I'll see you again soon."

"Drive carefully, Adrian." Rose warned.

"I will." He handed her their daughter. "Take good care of her."

"We will." She assured him.

Once they were gone, Adrian drove Zoe to her hotel. He came back to find Sydney staring at a painting leaning against the wall.

"They're all of me." She observed.

"All the ones here are. I can't get you out of my head." He kissed her neck. The action that had made her giggle only a few hours before now made her eyes sting and her throat tight.

"I'm not ready for this."

"It's not good-bye yet." He kissed her cheek. "And it's not good-bye forever." He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Sydney lifted her shirt over her head and watched Adrian uncertainly for a moment. He removed his own shirt and stepped toward her and placed his hands on her waist. He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his. She placed her hands on his stomach and then slid them slowly up, taking in every inch of his torso. He gave an appreciative moan as her hands moved over his bare flesh.

They undressed each other down to their underwear and then got into bed together. Sydney pulled Adrian on top of her and wrapped her leg around his. They kissed passionately, hands roving eagerly.

Adrian pulled his mouth away. Sydney gave a reluctant sigh as he moved his mouth over her face. He kissed her neck and then moved his mouth slowly over every bit of her chest and stomach. He paid particular attention to her breasts, teasing her with his lips and tongue and teeth. He nipped at her skin as he moved lower. He pulled the side of her panties down just enough to kiss her hip and then slowly made his way back to her mouth.

Sydney gave Adrian's body the same slow exploration. He smoothed his hand over her hair again and again, whispering her name like a prayer. She tentatively flicked her tongue out over his nipple, causing him to moan. She did it again, covering it with her mouth and sucking a little. He gave another moan and tangled his fingers in her hair.

She moved her mouth lower all too soon and at an excruciating pace. She stopped at his navel and rested her head on his stomach. She placed her hands on his sides and rubbed gentle circles into his skin with her thumbs.

"I'm not ready for the big moment." She said softly after a while.

"I'm not either." He combed his fingers through her hair. "I don't have any condoms."

She snorted and kissed his stomach once more. She trailed kisses back up his body. She brushed her lips over his. "But you said there are other things we can do. I'd like to try those."

He nodded. "As long as you're sure."

"I am." She pushed her panties down her legs as he watched hungrily.

He reciprocated in removing his final piece of clothing. She reached toward him timidly and ran her finger down the length of his erection. His breath caught and he pulled her to him for a deep kiss.

"Are you sure?" He asked against her lips.

"I am." She said again, wrapping her hand around his stiffness. "Tell me what to do."

He took control of her mouth again and wrapped his hand around hers. He guided her touch for a long time. Their mouths remained connected. She grew bolder and tightened her grip slightly.

"Sydney, yes." He moaned. He slipped his hand between her legs and touched the hard nub there.

She paused with a surprised gasp.

He smiled. "It's okay, isn't it?"

She nodded and started moving her hand again. She rocked her hips along with his stroking. They both moaned with increasing volume, their lips brushed in fleeting kisses.

And then Sydney felt the tension meeting its peak and she froze. "Adrian?"

"Just relax." Adrian said softly. "Let it happen."

"I'm scared." She said softly.

"Don't be, baby. I'm here." He cupped her head with his free hand and kissed her as he guided her over the edge.

She panted and dropped her head to his shoulder. She slowly started moving her hand over him again. She kissed his shoulder as her breath came back to normal.

"God." He moaned.

"Not even close." She clamped her mouth down on his neck and moved her hand faster.

He chuckled and moved with her touch. "Almost there."

She covered his mouth with her own, catching his subsequent moans in her mouth as he met his climax. The warmth spilled over her hand.

"I'm sorry." He panted.

"Don't be." She kissed him softly and spread her hand out on his stomach.

He kissed her. "We have two options. We can shower—which would be nice—or we can just clean this up with a shirt or something and fall asleep—which would also be nice."

"I think I'd like to shower." She kissed him again and rolled out of the bed.

* * *

_Translation: Be calm, Sasha. It is all right._


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's note: Trying to figure a few things out with this story. Don't know how long until I update because I'd like to work some things out. I have a bit of an idea, but I also have other things to finish. Anyway, I thank you for reading and everything. Please feel free to review._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Fifteen

Sydney kept calm the entire ride to the airport. Zoe gave her sister a kind look and then announced that she would go ahead and make her way through security.

As soon as she was lost in the crowd, Sydney threw herself into Adrian's arms. She took several shaky breaths and clung to him.

"I'll email." He promised. "And if they give you a new number, give me a call or something. Just as long as you keep in touch and let me know you're okay."

"I will. And I'll keep you updated on the college stuff."

"Thank you."

She pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him almost desperately. He held her close and returned the kiss with the same intensity. He tasted salt and he wasn't sure if they were her tears or his.

She pulled away reluctantly. "You take care of that baby."

"I'll do my best."

"Send me pictures."

"I will."

She grabbed the front of his shirt and held tightly. "And for the love of God, pay attention when you're driving. If you're tired, pull over. And email me or something when you get in."

He brushed his lips across hers. "And you keep on your toes. Don't slip up or it's all over."

She nodded. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

They shared one more kiss and then she stepped back. She gave him one last look-over before she turned and pushed her way through the crowd.

Adrian pushed the Ivashkinator to its limits. He chose his route carefully. He crossed into Missouri and pulled over. He took out his phone and sent an email to Sydney. "_Still in St. Louis? Want to sneak away with me for an hour?_"

He got a reply as he walked back out to his car from a convenience store a few hours later.

"_Yes. When? Call me. Number is still the same for now._"

Adrian nervously punched in her number. She answered on the third ring. "Hey, baby." He crooned into the phone.

"Hi." She breathed. "It's been just over a day and I miss you so much."

"I miss you, too. I'm about an hour away. Want me to pick you up somewhere?"

"No, I'll meet you." She gave him an address and directions to a café on the edge of town.

"I'll see you there." Adrian put his car in gear and zoomed out of the lot. He made good time and arrived at the café before Sydney.

He took a table as far away from the door and windows as possible. He ordered a drink and waited. A few minutes later, he got a kiss on the cheek and then Sydney slid into the booth across from him.

She smiled. "This is a lovely little pit stop."

"Yeah." He grinned and reached across the table for her hand.

"It's not safe to linger." She said, kissing his knuckles.

He shook his head. "Drink a cup of coffee anyway."

She nodded and ordered a cup. For a while, they just sat and stared at each other. Adrian played with Sydney's fingers. He turned her hand over and traced the lines of her palm.

"After I get settled in at Court, I'm going to get to take Rory for a few days. Just her and me." Adrian said after a while.

Sydney smiled. "Are you ready for that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so. And Rose and Dimitri are right there, so it's not like I'm going to be completely alone."

"Give her an extra kiss for me." Sydney whispered.

"I will." He sighed, "Do you have a new assignment?"

She shook her head. "I'm here. For now. They're keeping a close eye on me. I was immersed for almost a year with all of you. They are deciding if I should be sent to re-education or not."

"I hope not."

"Me too."

"And what about Zoe?"

"Back to Utah first thing tomorrow." She drank the last drop of her coffee and put it down with a sigh. "Come outside with me." She put some money down on the table and headed out the door.

Adrian followed and found her leaned against the side of a car parked in the alley. He gave her a sideways grin. "Want to make out in the back seat?"

She laughed. "I'd love to. But we better not. I need to get back and you need to get on the road again. To Rory and Jill."

He nodded and moved closer. He pinned her to the car with his hips and leaned his head down. He brushed his lips across hers. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

He clamped his mouth down on hers. Her arms came up around his neck and he pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. He braced himself against the car with the other. He moaned into her mouth and she replied in kind. She gathered the back of his shirt in her fist and his hair in the other. The kiss went on and on, neither wanting to stop.

Reluctantly, Adrian slowly pulled away. He lifted a hand and brushed his fingers down Sydney's cheek. "Let me do something." He pulled his phone out of his pocket.

She smiled. "A picture? I look awful."

"Nah." He snapped a picture for her. She laughed and he took another. Then he moved beside her and smiled into the camera. He pressed his lips to her for yet another. "That should hold me, I guess." He kissed her again. "I love you."

"Send me a copy of that last one." She squeezed his hand. "And one of you and Rory."

He smiled and nodded. "Okay."

Sydney raised her hand and brushed her fingers down his cheek. "I don't know how to get out. I may have to run."

"Be smart about it if you do. Come to me, but not right away. Once you're at Court, we can keep you safe. I'll talk to Lissa and Rose and see what we can do. We have as much power as them."

She nodded. "For now, Adrian, just keep yourself and your baby safe. I'll be fine. I'll just toe the line until I can figure it all out."

He pressed one more kiss to her lips and then hurried to his car.

* * *

Adrian stepped into his apartment and sat his bag down. He threw himself across the couch just before someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" He called.

"Rose and Rory." Came the reply.

He rolled off the couch and threw the door open.

Rose smiled back at him. "How was the drive?"

"Long." He lifted Lorelei out of the stroller and walked into the apartment, motioning for Rose to follow. "I made a pit stop I shouldn't have made, but it was fine otherwise."

"What kind of pit stop?"

He walked around the living room bouncing Lorelei as Rose took a seat on the couch. "In St. Louis. To see Sydney."

"Do they know?" She asked gently.

"I hope not. She'd be sent to re-education for sure." He trailed a finger down his daughter's cheek. "Can we hide her here? Is that a possibility?"

"I don't know if we can. I'll talk to Lissa. And if she doesn't have a solution, then I'll call Abe. We'll figure it out."

"Why would you do that for me?"

She smiled. "You're my baby's father. Your happiness and wellbeing are what's best for hers. And if you're worried about Sydney…She'll be okay."

"I know. She can hold her own in anything." He sat down beside Rose. "How did you know I was here?"

"I told the guards at the gate to call when you got in." She leaned over the bundle in his arms. Lorelei had started moving around. "Would you like to keep her starting today?"

"Are you sure? I don't have anything. I was going to get it all tomorrow."

"I can get you the things you need." She grinned. "I've got connections."

He laughed. "And I have money." He gave her a hard look. "Are you sure?"

"It'll be hard. But you deserve it. And I deserve a break from waking up a million times a day."

He gave her a kind smile. "At least you have Dimitri to help. That's a plus."

She nodded. "I can see why some women send their babies off. If we weren't at Court, I wouldn't feel she was safe. Even if I had a ward placed around my house. I'm good and I know how to function on little sleep, but I'd never feel confident enough if we weren't surrounded by other guardians. And I'm so thankful every day for Dimitri. He could have left. He had every reason and opportunity to go, but he didn't."

"And he won't, Rose. He loves you. He loves her. And there's not a thing in this world he wouldn't do for Rory. She's his daughter as much as mine. You have a good man in him. And I'm sorry I was ever jealous."

She rubbed Adrian's arm. "Let's go shopping."

He laughed. "I've been driving forever."

"Then you stay here with her and I'll pick out all the frilly, pink stuff."

"You're not the type for all the frills." He pointed out.

"I could be." She smiled. "But Dimitri doesn't like it too much. 'Not fit for a guardian.' He says. But then he's usually the one who puts her in a dress."

"You do a good Russian accent." He stood and placed Lorelei in the stroller. "Shopping."

A few minutes later, they were walking through the doors of a small boutique that specialized in baby items. Adrian picked out a crib and dresser at first sight. He gave the clerk his address and told them to send them over.

Rose called Dimitri and asked him to come over as soon as he got off work to help put them together.

"I know you'll probably want your own clothes for her, but you don't need to go all out. We can pass things back and forth. She grows so fast anyway."

He nodded. "That works."

They walked through the store and picked out a few more things, clothes and toys and a few other things Adrian swore he needed, but Rose said he'd really never use. They made their way back to Adrian's apartment. Jill and Eddie met them there just a few minutes before Dimitri showed up.

"It's like a party." Adrian commented, placing Lorelei on her blanket on the floor. "Who brought the booze?"

"No one." Jill said. "Three of us are still underage and one of us just doesn't need it."

"That never stopped me before." Rose commented under her breath.

Jill added, "And you promised Sydney."

He looked nervously around the room. Even though everyone here knew about his relationship with Sydney, Adrian wasn't entirely ready for them to all speak so nonchalantly about it. He nodded and pasted his smirk onto his face. "Then pizza." He took out his phone and made an order.

Eddie and Dimitri started looking over the instructions for the crib. Rose started taking inventory of the pieces in the box. Jill sat on the floor beside Lorelei.

Through many laughs and frustration, they were able to get the crib assembled fairly quickly. They took a break for pizza. Jill begged to feed Lorelei. Dimitri made the bottle and handed it to her.

"So what do you think?" Eddie asked Adrian.

"About what?"

"Fatherhood. Jumping right in."

He grinned. "I'm looking forward to it. Not the sleepless days, so much."

"Tell them about school." Jill prompted.

"Yeah, school. Your art." Rose said. "How is that going? What are you going to do?"

"I've been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania. I only have three semesters left. Some of the classes are offered in the summer. So I can be done this time next year. And then I'll be back here permanently. Well, close to here. Sydney wouldn't be welcome in Court. She wouldn't be comfortable anyway." He looked around the group. "I'm going to marry her. One of these days."

There was silence in the room for a few seconds.

Dimitri stood and started pulling out the components of the dresser. "Then I suppose we had better find a way to get her away from the Alchemists."

Rose joined him. "And soon."

"Yes, very soon." Jill passed Lorelei to Eddie and then joined the two guardians in the assembly of the last of the furniture.

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Adrian asked despondently.

"I'm playing with a few ideas." Rose assured him. "We'll figure it out, Adrian."


	16. Chapter 16

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Sixteen

"I'm very disappointed in you, Sydney." Jared said, leaning back in his chair.

He hadn't asked his daughter to take a seat, so Sydney stood with her hands clasped behind her back. "Disappointed, sir?" She asked uncertainly.

He pointed to a folder. "I have Zoe's report on the mission. She said you were a little too chummy with the vampires than she ever felt was proper for a human, let alone an Alchemist." He sighed, "I asked Stanton to let me handle this. You're going to be sent to re-education."

"You're taking the word of a _Junior_ Alchemist over my own experiences? I lived amongst them far longer than Zoe, worked with them. You all have my report, don't you? No loss of life. No injuries or major incidences. No one ever suspected anything was off about us. We were supposed to be related. What Zoe saw was me taking my position seriously to keep everyone hidden and safe. She could have worked a little harder."

"I don't like your tone." He said mildly. "I agree with both of you. You did your best not to give off any false signals as to your identity. But I agree that you may have gotten too close. You're going to re-education." He leaned toward his computer and started typing something.

"Are you done?" Sydney asked. Her voice shook. She was about to make it even worse, she knew, but she had to get some things out.

He looked up at her questioningly.

"I know you think you're probably the best human alive, but I doubt it."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She took a step closer to him. "I'm through trying to please you. And I'm through trying to be someone I'm not. I'm not Alchemist material. Zoe is. Zoe can have it. I know you always liked her more than me anyway."

"That's not so." He said.

"Oh? Which part? You told me I wasn't ever good enough. You made me feel like I was nothing. You helped foster an eating disorder."

"An eating disorder? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You always comment on the amount of food I eat. Telling me I'll never be able to keep up with them. I'll give you a little newsflash, _Dad_, I would never be able to keep up with them anyway because we are an entirely different species. They are thin and swift by the blessing of their genetics—"

"I wouldn't call anything about an unholy creature a blessing." He spat.

Sydney shook her head. "And that's what I've learned in all of this. Moroi and dhampirs and humans are all very much the same. We do have our differences, but I think we could all live together peacefully if we tried."

"Are you going to run away to those disgusting _Keepers_, then?" His lip curled up in repulsion.

"No, not the Keepers. But I _am_ leaving. Tell them if you want so that they can come after me. But if you ever loved me even a little, you'd let me have a bit of a head start."

Jared watched her for a while, his jaw working. Finally he said, "Eight hours."

Sydney was flabbergasted. "What?"

"I'll give you eight hours. That way I can say you snuck out at night while I was sleeping. I'd rather they didn't think I had forewarning." He got up and walked around her and out the door.

It took Sydney a moment before she went into action. She hurried to her room. She packed a bag with a few changes of clothes and carefully added in her magic kit and her Alchemy tools. She hoped they would all hold up. She took her purse and computer bag and headed out the door. She went back to her father's office and jotted down a note telling him as if for the first time that she was going into hiding.

She left and just started driving. She stopped at the first branch of her bank she came across and withdrew all her funds. She broke the card into several small pieces and dropped a couple into the trash can. As she drove, she released the rest of the pieces of her card out the window.

She stopped at a small, dingy-looking motel and rented a room. She took out her computer and logged into the wifi, surprised that a place that looked like this would have such an option. She sent off an email to her old ally Zmey asking for any assistance he could give her. She would ask Adrian, but she knew his form of help would probably be more obvious than she needed.

His reply came quickly with a location and time to meet him. She typed the place into a search engine and found that it was only a few hours' drive away. She looked around the room and decided she would leave tonight. She threw a few bills onto the bedside table and gathered her things and left.

* * *

"I'll do anything I can, Miss Sage." He assured her as soon as he heard her plea. "You want to get to Adrian?"

She hesitated, looking down at her coffee. She nodded. "Yes. If you can get me there and know they won't find me."

He smiled. "You have so little faith in me? I helped my daughter escape from prison and then hide from the Moroi. I can keep you safe from the Alchemists."

"But I'm not your daughter. You have no emotional investment in me."

His face softened. "But I do." He leaned forward. "Sydney, I am not a harsh man. I never have been. I know I have a lot of harsh practices. But I do it because it gets the job done. I'll help you. At no charge. Whatever it takes. Because if I have heard it right, you may one day have a hand in raising my granddaughter. And I would rather have you to help Adrian than have him be alone at the job."

"What makes you think he'd be alone?" She asked, still looking at her cup.

"Because I remember seeing you together on a few occasions. He would have a very hard time of it getting over you. And I can tell you, Sydney, that there is no one quite like you. You are one of those truly unique people in this world."

"I don't have to go to Adrian right away. It would probably be best if I didn't. They might have an eye on him if Zoe blabbed as much as my father claimed."

"He's still at Court, so you'd both be safe. Would you be comfortable there? I could set you up elsewhere, but I have a contact in the queen's guard who would see to it that you weren't bothered." He smiled.

"I think I would be fine there."

"Good." He looked her over. "I think it would behoove you to have a new identity."

"I agree. But nothing too crazy." She looked up and smiled at him. "Though I shouldn't say that to you, should I?"

He laughed. "Perhaps not. So what would you like me to do as far as profession?"

"I want to go to college. Architecture. I don't expect you to get me into a school, just make it possible for me to apply."

He nodded, thoughtful. "I can do that." He looked around and then down at his watch. "We need to go. Leave your car."

They rode along in silence for a while. Abe typed furiously on his phone. He looked over and tsked.

"What?"

"You need a haircut. And it would make it even better to sneak you past security cameras with a different color."

She touched her hair. She always liked the layered cut she got for its ease in styling and managing. And what would Adrian think? She sighed. It would always grow back. "All right."

Abe typed again and then put the phone to his ear and barked out a few orders.

Sydney ignored the conversation. She wished she could call Adrian and let him know about her impending arrival, but Abe had smashed her phone to a point he deemed wouldn't be viable for information and then had her throw it into a dumpster. She had no way of contacting him until she was able to set up new service.

* * *

Adrian was just waking up when there was a knock on his door. He looked at it curiously. He wasn't getting Lorelei for a few more hours and expected no one else in the meantime.

He opened it and paused. A brunette stood in front of him with a familiar face. "Sydney, is that you?"

She nodded. "It's me."

He pulled her into his arms in a crushing embrace. She pressed her eyes into his shoulder, begging the tears to stay away just a few more minutes.

Abe handed over her things and then passed her a small package. "I picked this up for you. I'll have all the new information sent to you as soon as possible."

Sydney swallowed. "There aren't enough words in my vocabulary to thank you properly."

He placed a hand on the side of her face. "You can thank me by taking care of yourself and being another fantastic role model for my granddaughter." He kissed her forehead and then stepped away with a smile. "Look after her well, Adrian." He said over his shoulder.

Adrian took her things and pulled her inside. He dropped everything by the door and then gathered his girlfriend into his arms once more. "You have to tell me everything."

"Can I do it later? I just need you to hold me for a while."

He smiled kindly, "Sure, baby." He sat down on the couch and pulled her legs over his.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and let the tears finally flow. His hand moved over her back in soothing circles and he whispered to her.

They somehow found themselves stretched out together without much memory of when it happened. It had seemed to go in stages. Sydney spoke softly after a while of the events that had led her to be there with him. He listened as she went over every detail from the moment she left home to her showing up at his door.

He kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad you're here." He picked up a piece of her shortened hair. "I don't know if I like you as a brunette, though."

"I know _I _don't. Thankfully, it will wash out eventually. And grow." She looked up at him. "It's okay that I'm here, isn't it?"

He framed her face with his hands and kissed her softly. "Of course. I want you with me as much as possible."

"Good to know."

"I'm moving closer to school next week. I have an apartment. You're welcome to come with me until you can figure your life out."

"I think I'd like that." She put her head on his chest once more.

"Rory will be here in a few hours." Adrian said softly as he combed his fingers through her hair.

"I bet she's grown in the last few weeks."

"She has." He said proudly. "She loves to smile. She thinks her mommy is the best person on the planet. But she gets really happy to see me, too. I go over there to spend evenings with them sometimes. Or they come over here when she's with me. We're switching off on a weekly basis right now. Once school starts up, I'll have her weekends and holidays."

"Every weekend?"

"I don't think every weekend."

"It will be nice to have her whenever we can."

"We." He kissed her head again. "Marry me."

"Not yet. I need to get a lot of things figured out. And I'd like to graduate from school first."

"Okay. But I'll ask you from time to time anyway."

"One day I may say yes when you least expect it." She yawned. "When is Rory going to be here exactly?"

"Rose and Dimitri will bring her when Rose gets off duty. Dimitri had the day off and wanted a bit of quality time. I really can't fault him."

"No, not at all." Sydney sat up. "I haven't gotten much sleep since I left. Would you mind if I took a nap?"

"I don't mind at all. I'm going to get a little cleaning done." He looked around the room. "I'm a total bachelor when I'm here alone."

"I'll help you keep it up. It's not like I'll have a lot of things to do to spend my time here. I'm not going to venture outside without you and maybe Jill or a trusted guardian."

"You can trust all of us." He assured her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Go sleep, baby. I'll wake you when Rory gets here."

"I love you." She brushed her lips across his. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. You're right where I've wanted you to be for a long time. And I promise to do everything I can to make you comfortable here."

"Wherever you are, I'm comfortable." She kissed him again and then drifted off to the bedroom.

* * *

_Post-story author's note: So I kind of feel that Abe sees Sydney as a beloved niece. I feel like this is what motivated him in a lot of his actions towards her. And I also feel like he would do anything to help someone in his daughter and granddaughter's lives (which I kind of explained)._

_I hope you agree and I hope you like it. Feel free to let me know by reviewing. You can even do it anonymously!_


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's note: I hope you like the events in this chapter. There are a lot of really great things. Please feel free to give feedback._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Seventeen

Spending all night with Lorelei was an interesting experience. Sydney hadn't been around a baby for so long since Zoe was that age. And every time Adrian held her or played with her, he was just so different from the young man she had first met. His whole body changed.

And when she held Lorelei, Adrian watched her almost hungrily at times, others with such a deep affection that it seemed to almost hurt him.

They put the baby to bed in the early hours of the morning. Then Adrian went around his small apartment and turned out all the lights.

He held out a hand to Sydney. "Best to sleep when she does. She'll be awake soon."

"We aren't going to be doing much sleeping, though, are we?" She slipped her hand into his and kissed it as he led her towards the bedroom.

"I'll gladly lose some sleep today." He closed the door, hoping to muffle the sound a little in the tiny apartment.

"I really hate this hair." Sydney said, looking in the full-length mirror beside the door.

He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her hair. "It's cute. And it will grow out. You'll be the adorable blonde I fell in love with." He put his finger under her chin and turned her face to meet her eyes. "But it wasn't your hair I fell in love with, Sydney. It was all of you."

She leaned her head on his shoulder a moment. "You're the only family I have left."

"Let's not think about that right now." He led her toward the bed. He kissed her softly.

Sydney turned and pulled down the comforter. She looked at it a moment and then over her shoulder. She pushed her pants off and stretched out on the bed.

A growl escaped Adrian as he shucked his own pants. He leaped onto the bed and pulled her up to sit. He smiled and lifted her shirt over her head. She smiled back and removed his shirt. He reveled in the feel of her hands as they slowly roamed over his bare chest. Sometimes he wished he'd had better definition like dhampirs, but Sydney took those thoughts away. She made him feel as perfect as he always let people believe he was.

He cupped the back of her head and kissed her gently, his hand slid over her breast and down her side. He reclined her. His hand rested on her waist, drawing circles into her flesh with his thumb. He pressed his knee between her legs.

She moaned into his mouth and clutched at him. She wrapped her leg around his.

He licked across her lips and then moved his mouth down to her jaw. She moaned again and he pressed his body closer.

Sydney flipped him onto his back before he could move his mouth any lower than her neck. She wasn't quite ready for that. She sat up and looked down at him. She straddled his waist.

"Hello." Adrian said in a strangled voice. He put his hands on her waist. "Don't move around too much there or you may get more than you planned for."

"And what precisely do you think I've got planned?" She leaned over to press a kiss to his mouth. She lifted herself up.

He sighed into her mouth. It was a mix of relief and frustration. She smiled against his lips and pressed her hips downward.

"Sydney, god." He moaned.

She chuckled, kissed him once more, and sat up. She reached behind her back.

And then Lorelei started crying.

Adrian gave a frustrated groan and sat up. He kissed Sydney and then moved from beneath her. He pulled on his pants as he went.

After a moment, she followed. She leaned against the door frame and watched as her boyfriend walked around the room, bouncing his baby and crooning to her.

He paused and smiled at her. "She'll be okay."

"Good." Sydney smiled. "You're amazing, you know that?"

His smile turned into a smirk. "Pretty much the best thing that ever happened to you."

She kissed him. "I'll be waiting for you."

"You won't be waiting long. She's asleep." He turned to the crib and put Lorelei back down. He turned and grabbed Sydney around the waist and lifted her. "Where were we?" He kicked the door closed and threw her onto the bed. He leaned over her and kissed her.

"Hm, not quite here." She flipped him onto his back once more.

Adrian chuckled. "I can't get enough of this."

"Well, we're not going too far, sweetheart." Sydney leaned down and kissed him, guiding his hands to her back. "Take that off if you want."

"Oh, I want." He unhooked the bra and threw it off to the side. He cupped her breast and massaged the nipple with his thumb as they continued to kiss.

She moaned and rolled her hips down. She made a sound of frustration when she realized he was still wearing his jeans. Her hands fumbled at the button, but got it after a moment. She pushed them down his hips.

Adrian gasped when Sydney slipped her hand under the band of his boxers. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" She wrapped her hand around his erection.

He leaned his head back and let out a satisfied sigh as Sydney's hand continued to move over him. He stroked her back with one hand, his other still on her breast.

She kissed him and whispered against his lips. "How is this?"

"It's good. Very good." He lifted his head and caught her mouth once more. The kiss muffled the moans and other sounds of pleasure that escaped him. His body tensed and he released one final groan just before he met his climax.

Sydney kissed him through it.

He collapsed against the mattress, a satisfied smile playing at his lips. She moved off to the side and kissed his neck. She wrapped an arm around his waist and rested her head against his.

After he regained his breathing, Adrian started combing his fingers through Sydney's hair. "What would you like me to do for you?"

She was silent.

"Are you asleep?"

"No, just trying to think of how to respond to that and not feel like a complete failure."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know about all this more than I do." She took a deep breath and said, "And part of me kind of just wants to lay here in your arms."

"You don't need to feel obligated, Sydney. Ever. If you want to lay here until we fall asleep, then that's what we'll do."

"So, you don't think I'm a loser?"

"Of course not. I'm the only guy you've ever been…intimate with, right?"

"Yes."

"So, it's still new. I like what you've given me. And if you don't feel the need for a return, that's fine. But I've got a lot to give, baby. I would feel guilty if I was just _getting_ all the time."

"I'd like to get what you have to give, but I'm tired. Just hold me." She pulled the blanket over them and snuggled closer.

* * *

Adrian woke up alone. He looked toward the open door and called, "Sydney?"

"Living room." She called back.

He pulled on some pants and walked into find her feeding Lorelei. He sat down beside her and kissed the top of his daughter's head and then shared a kiss with his girlfriend. "I didn't hear her."

"She wasn't making noise. Just lying there, staring up at the picture her daddy painted on the ceiling. Content. Of course, as soon as she saw me, she started fussing, but I stopped that quickly, didn't I?" The last was directed to the baby in her arms.

Lorelei smiled around the bottle.

"I think she likes me."

"Of course she likes you." Adrian said. "You're feeding her. She's loves food, can't you tell?" He tickled her cheek and she smiled again. "And what do the adults want for breakfast? I can make ham and cheese omelets. I make good omelets."

"That sounds good, but not too much…" She smiled. "Never mind. Make it how you plan to make it and I'll eat it."

"You look great." He kissed her cheek. He smoothed down her hair and smiled.

"It's all over the place, isn't it?" She looked up at him expectantly.

"It's adorably rumpled." He walked into the kitchen. "I'm sorry I don't have a coffee maker, baby. I can run out for coffee quick, if you want."

She smiled. "That would be great, actually."

He returned to the bedroom and came back out a moment later pulling a shirt over his head. "I'll be right back." He kissed the top of her head. "Anything for you, Rory?" He tickled her cheek. "No? Okay." He kissed her forehead. "I'll only be about fifteen minutes."

Lorelei finished off her bottle and Sydney burped her. Then she laid her back against her knees and just looked at her. The baby watched Sydney with wide, dark eyes.

"Hello, pretty girl." She said after a while. "What are you doing?"

She smiled and moved her mouth as though she wanted to talk.

"Oh, yeah. Tell me all about it." A knock at the door interrupted her. She stood and looked out the peep hole. "It's your mommy." Sydney said, opening the door.

Rose looked at her with a little bit of annoyance that bordered on anger for a moment. And then her face softened as recognition dawned on her. "Sydney. I thought I was going to have to kick someone's ass. A couple someones."

Sydney laughed. "Good to know you care about all of us that much."

"Well, I know how Adrian used to operate. You're better than that." Rose stepped into the apartment and then leaned over the baby. "Hello, my sweet girl. I've missed you."

Sydney passed her over. "We've been bonding. Adrian went to get me coffee."

"I can't believe he doesn't have a coffee maker. I would have thought he would get one for you."

"He didn't know I was coming. And it wasn't part of the priority list right after I got here." She nervously smoothed a hand over her hair.

She took a seat on the couch and talked to Lorelei for a few minutes. Sydney watched jealously. But then she was confused. Why was she jealous? She had this same life for the most part. The baby wasn't from her womb, but she was just as much Sydney's daughter. They all had seemed to agree on that point. And now she was no longer completely apart from them.

"So what brings you this way?" She asked as she took a seat across from Rose.

"I took a run. Mapped my route here on purpose." She smoothed a hand over her baby's head. "She's going to be such a heart-breaker, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but she comes by it honestly."

Rose chuckled and kissed Lorelei's forehead. "It's true."

"Honey, I'm home." Adrian called as he stepped through the door. He stopped when he saw Rose. "Oh, hi."

She smiled. "Hi. You don't mind that I'm here, do you?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. Here you go, my love." He handed Sydney a large cup.

"You are a lifesaver." She took a long sip and let out a sigh. "Perfect."

"And," he held up a bag that she hadn't noticed before, "brand new coffee maker for all your adorably caffeinated needs."

"I knew there was some reason I stuck with you."

He chuckled and sat the bag on the counter. "So what brings you this way, Rose?"

"A run before work." She sighed and kissed the baby. "And now I actually have to go get ready. I love you, Lorelei. You have fun with Daddy and Sydney."

Sydney took the baby and walked with her to the door. "I'm glad you got to stop by."

"Me too. How long are you going to be around?"

"Until Adrian moves. I'm going with him."

"Good. Well, we'll have to throw you a going away party. I'll talk to Dimitri about it." She kissed her baby once more. "See you later, baby girl. Mommy loves you."

The baby let out a soft coo, her hands waved.

Rose sighed. "Off to work."

Sydney sipped her coffee and bounced Lorelei. Adrian kissed them both and then started working on breakfast.

"I bet you're looking forward to the day when you can taste your daddy's cooking. He's not a bad chef."

"I'm a damn good chef, thank you very much." He looked over his shoulder. "Want to help me?"

"If it means putting this little girl down, I'll have to think about it."

"I understand. She loves to cuddle." He smiled affectionately at the two of them. "Sometimes I just keep holding her for hours. I've learned to do a lot of things one-handed. Cook, eat, clean." He shrugged. "She's perfect, isn't she?"

"Pretty close." Sydney agreed. She watched Adrian cook for a while. She said after a while, "If I can get into school next year, I'll be done with my undergraduate studies in no more than five years from matriculation. And then getting my masters, depending on what field I go for, another year or two. And then an internship for a year. And _then_ a job. I'd kind of like to be decently established before we actually get married."

Adrian was silent for a while.

"Or we could do it sooner if you'd rather do that."

"Can we just set it for a certain amount of years?"

She thought about it. "Eight. That will get me through school and maybe my internship. We can do the planning a little at a time so it's not overwhelming."

"You want to do it up big?"

"I don't think we really need anything extravagant. Right now, we don't have a whole lot of friends. I don't have contact with my family. It's doubtful your dad would want to be there and we don't know when your mom will actually be out…" She looked down at the baby in her arms. "Does she know about Rory?"

"I've sent her letters, but she hasn't replied. I tried dream walking, but she asked me to leave before I could really talk to her." He sat a plate down on the bar in front of her. "You can put her in the swing if you want."

"No, I'm fine. This looks great."

"Thank you. Tastes even better. I promise." He slid beside her with an omelet of his own.

"So you think you can hold out for eight years?"

"I think so. And we can discuss the particulars when we get closer. I don't want anything big either. Just you and me and Rory, I'd be fine with that."

"Me too, actually."

"But you wouldn't just go with me tomorrow and do it?"

She shook her head. "I don't want a quickie wedding. I want to relax into all this. And I don't want to be married to you while I'm in school. I can't explain why, but I want to do that as…me."

"I understand. I'll be done by next summer. I'll go with you wherever you go."

She shook her head. "Most of the schools are several hours away. I don't want you to be that far from Rory."

"It's would still be the same arrangement with Rose and Dimitri."

A knock on the door halted their argument. Adrian answered it.

Abe Mazur walked in, a smile on his face and an envelope in his hand. "I see you didn't bother to open the package I gave you. I've been trying to call." He walked to Sydney. "I was up all day on the phone trying to work some things out for you. I know you said you just wanted me to make it possible for you to apply to school, but I remembered I had a few favors I could call in." He handed over the envelope. "I hope you won't be angry with me."

She passed Lorelei to her grandfather and opened the envelope. It took her a moment to realize what she was reading. She looked up at Abe and blinked back the tears. "You did this for me?"

"Of course." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Adrian, I've been accepted to Carnegie Mellon for this semester. Classes start next week."

He smiled. "Baby, that's great."

"This changes some things."

"It does. But we'll be fine. We should go look this week and find you an apartment."

A thought occurred to her and her excitement suddenly went away. "I can't afford any of this."

"First year is already paid for." Abe assured her. "And with your grades, I'm sure getting an academic scholarship will be no problem."

She looked down at the paper again. A tear dropped on it and she quickly wiped it away. She wrapped her arms around Abe.

He wrapped his free arm around her. "Don't screw it up, Sydney. But I don't suppose I have to tell you that."

She shook her head. "I'm going to work my ass off for this. You won't regret helping me."

He kissed her cheek. "Congratulations." He kissed Lorelei and then passed her back to Sydney. "I suppose I'll see you around."

Adrian took out his phone and sent a text to Rose to call him when she was free. "When do you want to go apartment hunting?"

"If I live on campus, I can save money."

"If you live on campus, we can't visit you. You know, overnight."

She smiled. "Okay, well, I guess that makes sense."

"I'll pay all your deposits." He held up a hand. "I know you have some savings. Keep your money for now. You can find a job, maybe on campus, and pay your bills. But I'll help when you need. I want you to be there and safe and comfortable."

She wrapped an arm around him and kissed him. "Thank you."

He kissed her again. "I'm going to talk to Rose about taking Rory with us. We can go tomorrow so you're settled in and can register and stuff."

She nodded. "I like the sound of that."


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's note: A lot of lovely things happen in this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I liked writing it._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Eighteen

"What do you think?" Sydney said as she walked around the tiny apartment. It had one bedroom with a bathroom attached. The living room/dining room/kitchen area was as big as Adrian's bedroom at Court.

"It's miniscule." He observed.

"But it's close to the school. And it's mostly just going to be me here."

"What about when Rory and I come to visit?"

"Until she's older, she can sleep in the room with us. There's enough room for a portable crib in there. Or if you would prefer privacy," she moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, "it can be put in here. As far away from the door as the space will allow."

He smoothed his hand over her cheek. "I want to make sure you're comfortable, baby."

"I will be."

He brushed a kiss over her lips. "Then you should sign the paperwork."

They spent the rest of the day buying the basic furnishings the apartment needed. Sydney swore all she needed was a bed and kitchen furnishings, but Adrian insisted on buying a small table and chairs as well as a couch and TV.

"But I don't watch TV." She argued.

"Well, I do. And I plan on visiting as often as my schedule allows."

"Do you really think you'll have a lot of time to watch TV?" She asked with a coy smile.

He growled. "We'll have to rest and recharge in between."

"I plan on cuddling."

"We can cuddle on the couch. While we watch TV."

She laughed. "Get the TV if you really think I need it."

After getting Lorelei to bed in the pack and play Adrian had picked out and placed on the far side of the living room, he pulled Sydney down onto the couch and held her close. "I wish I could transfer here."

"You only have a year to go. This time next year, you can spend more time here."

"I'll be here all the time. If that's okay."

"I would think you'd want to be closer to your daughter."

"I do."

"Five years isn't long. Not really. And then we'll be together."

"Married?"

She looked across the room to where Lorelei slept. "I want her to be old enough to understand when it happens. To understand her family."

"She'll grow up with it. She won't know any different."

"All her classmates will be children raised by a single parent if they are being raised by a biological parent at all. Some will be essentially abandoned as soon as they are born. Raised by dhampirs who were raised in the same way. And that's how it's been going for centuries." She sat back. "Rory will be raised differently. She lives with a dhampir couple who are committed to each other in a way that is generally looked down upon. And she'll know you as her father. So many of them barely even know which Moroi parented them, much less have any sort of relationship with them. And she'll have me, a human and a former Alchemist, as a stepmother. I won't even know how to explain it to her."

He combed his fingers through Sydney's hair as he watched her face. Finally he said, "All she will ever need to know is that we all love her. That we all love each other in one way or another and want what's best for all of us."

"I couldn't agree more. But I still want to wait to marry you for all those reasons. And I want to be…_me_…for a while. Do you understand?"

"Not really."

She moved to rest her head on his lap. She took his hand and started messing with his fingers as she talked. "I grew up being told who I was going to become. What I wanted never mattered. As long as I followed my lessons and did everything my father told me, I was all right. And then…when I met Rose, I got that first burst of doing something for me, like it was an actual possibility. But I didn't know how. And I didn't want to risk my life or what I had known because I was still scared to death of what would happen." Her voice caught and she kissed his palm.

"When I fell in love with you it only made me want to leave more. And now that I have, I just want…I want to be in love with you and learn what that means for me as Sydney Sage, normal human. College student. Girlfriend. Stepmother." She looked over to Lorelei again. "I want to be all those things. But not wife. Not yet."

Adrian leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. "We don't ever have to be married, Sydney. I just want you to know that. We can go on like this for the rest of our lives if that's what you want. When I told you about feeling the pressure to have sex, I really meant the pressure to do anything. You are your own person. And I don't want you to ever feel obligated to me or Rory or anyone other than yourself."

She sat up once more, turning and draping her legs over his. "I don't know how I ever got so lucky."

"You're not the only one." He kissed her again. It quickly became more insistent than their previous kisses.

Sydney stood after what seemed like mere moments. She tugged on his hand. "Come to bed. Let's have a little fun while she's sleeping."

Adrian proved to Sydney just how good he was with his mouth, bringing her to a glorious climax just before Lorelei awoke. He kissed his way up her body and then kissed her mouth lazily.

"Lorelei is crying." She said against his lips.

"I know. I just didn't want to run away from you too fast." He kissed her once more and then rolled out of bed. He pulled on his pants as he walked out of the room.

Sydney pulled the blanket up to her chest and watched through the door as Adrian made a bottle and soothed the baby.

He walked into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. "You don't mind this, do you?"

"Not as long as you don't." She sat up and kissed his shoulder.

"She'll go back to sleep."

"Yeah?"

"And then we can get back to what we were doing before."

"Let's not think about that with your baby in the room." She kissed his shoulder again. "I need water." She climbed out of the bed and pulled his shirt over her head.

"Come on, baby girl, Daddy needs some more alone time with Sydney. Finish this up."

Sydney returned to the room and put an extra glass of water on the nightstand Adrian insisted she needed. She hadn't really thought so.

She climbed back into the bed and watched him. "I'm going to have to get used to another schedule."

Adrian put the empty bottle on the table and brought Lorelei up to his shoulder to burp. "Me too. Again." He chuckled. "I kind of like being on human schedule. Well, when I'm part of the human world. I've stayed in places that didn't have 24-hour restaurants and things. It's so frustrating."

"Yeah."

"It's easy at Court because it caters to all of us. Most of the stores and things close during the day, but there are dhampirs who work days and may want to eat out or get some shopping done."

She yawned and nodded.

"Hold on. I'll be right back." He hurried out of the room and put Lorelei back in her bed. She fell asleep almost immediately. He stepped back into the bedroom and paused. Sydney was curled onto her side and was just as fast asleep as his daughter. He pushed his pants off and climbed in behind her.

She stirred and rolled onto her back. She blinked at him a few times. "I'm awake."

He smiled and kissed her. "No, it's fine. Sleep. You can take advantage of me later."

She rolled into him and slid her hand down between them. "I don't think it will take long."

"No, it actually won't." He said with a strained voice.

"Relax." She whispered, taking control of his mouth as she moved her hand slowly over him.

* * *

Somewhere between taking turns getting up with Lorelei and pleasuring each other, the two got enough sleep to function the next day.

While Sydney made breakfast, Adrian announced, "I'm buying you a car."

She paused. "Um, no, you're not."

"I am."

"No, you're not. You won't buy my love."

"I'm not throwing money at you for no reason. I want to buy you the things you need so you don't use up your savings before you have a way to replenish it. If you want to pay me back later on, that's fine. I don't want you to be stranded here."

She put a plate in front of him. "So you expect me to come visit you or something?"

He leaned forward and kissed her smiling lips. "Of course."

"What was that kiss for?"

"Just because. Do I have to have a reason?"

"I don't guess so." She met him for another kiss. "I'll buy my own car. I just want to get a job first."

"As long as you're sure."

"I am." She sighed. "I don't want you to leave."

"We have another day together. All day."

"Are you going to be okay not sleeping?"

"I'll get a little sleep tomorrow."

"If you need to take a nap before you go—"

"I'll be fine, baby."

She sat down next to him. "Thank you. I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful in any of this. I am, so grateful. I don't know where I'd be without you."

He shrugged. "You've given me just as much."

Sydney put her hand on Adrian's knee under the table.

"Want to just stay in bed all day?" He asked.

"You'd love that, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, I would. You know, Rory will sleep most of the day." He put his hand on her thigh and moved it up slowly.

She stopped him. "As much as I would like that, I actually need to go get some applications to fill out and call the admissions office to set up an advisor and sign up for classes and stuff."

"Will that take all day?"

"No, I don't think so. But you can come with me."

"I can."

"So…"

He smiled and kissed her once more. "Okay."

Sydney set up an appointment for the next day to sign up for classes. Then she and Adrian packed Lorelei into a stroller and set off down the road. She gathered and sat down to fill out applications at every place within walking distance.

By the time they got back to Sydney's apartment, Adrian was having a little trouble.

"Do you need a drink?" She asked nervously as she pointed to her neck.

He kissed her neck. "Not from you, Sage." He took out his phone and made a call. He wrote down an address on a piece of paper Sydney passed him. "I'll be back." He kissed her hard on the mouth. "Will you be okay with her?"

"Yeah, we'll be great. We'll make some lunch."

"Thanks, baby." He picked Lorelei up off the floor and kissed her. "Don't give Sydney a hard time while I'm gone." He kissed her again and then put her back on the floor.

She immediately started crying. Adrian reached for her, but Sydney stopped him.

"Go. I've got her. You need to take care of yourself."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." She picked Lorelei up off the ground. "You're okay, sweetheart."

Adrian kissed them both once more before he got his keys and headed out.

"Okay, Rory, let's see what we can make for lunch."

* * *

Adrian opened the door with the extra key. "Honey, I'm home."

"Hey there, love." She smiled. "You look better."

"I feel better." He sniffed. "I'm not really hungry anymore, but I'll eat a little of whatever you're cooking."

"Spaghetti. I figure if some is left over, I can freeze it for later." She accepted his kiss. "Rory ate and went back to sleep."

"Good. She might sleep the rest of the day." He grabbed her hips and pressed his own close. "We can go to bed once we're done eating."

"Don't you need to nap? You're leaving tonight."

"We'll leave in the morning. She'll sleep on the ride." He covered her mouth with his.

She moaned softly into his mouth. Behind her, she turned off the burner and slid the pots off them. "I'll eat later." She took his hand and led him toward the bedroom.

Adrian grabbed her around the waist and carried her the rest of the way, sitting down on the bed and pulling her onto his lap with her legs on either side of his waist.

Sydney rocked her hips into his, eliciting a moan from deep in his throat. She pushed her fingers through his hair as their mouths and bodies continued to move together. She could feel herself coming closer. She wanted to be skin-to-skin, to feel his mouth moving over that most intimate part of her.

"Too many layers." She whispered.

"Yes." He gasped. He grabbed her hips and rolled her beneath him. He removed her pants and underwear and slipped his fingers into the warmth of her core.

She threw her head back and pushed herself into his touch. "Yes."

"Can I try something?" He asked. His lips brushed hers.

"Depends." She panted.

He kissed her. "Do you trust me, baby?"

"I trust you."

"You can tell me to stop." He slipped his hand lower.

She let out a sharp gasp when his finger pressed inside her. Her eyes were wide, staring at him. "Oh."

He held her gaze. "Is this okay?"

"I think so."

He smiled and kissed her as he started moving. After a few strokes, he added another finger. She moaned into his mouth. With his thumb, he began rubbing the hard nub she was familiar with.

She caught his lower lip with her teeth and then sucked hard on it. She pulled free. "I like this."

"I hoped you would." He took control of her mouth again and quickened his pace.

Sydney's head fell back against the bed as the tension in her body rose and then the convulsions took over. She cried out and clutched at him. It was so different and so glorious to come all around him like this. Her body hummed and ached so wonderfully.

When she finally came back to herself, she looked at him a moment and then turned her head away in embarrassment. Even with all the things she'd done with Adrian, she'd never let herself go so easily.

"You're okay." He said over and over as he kissed every inch of her face.

She turned back, tears stung her eyes. "Yes, I am."

He wiped away her tears. "I like that you found your voice, baby."

She swallowed and closed her eyes a moment. Breathing was still difficult. "I'm not so sure myself." She opened her eyes again. "But I did like that."

"I'm glad."

"But I'm still not—"

He cut her off with a kiss. "I know."

She closed her eyes again a moment. When she opened them again, she had a mischievous smile on her lips. "Your turn."

"And what do you have planned?"

"You'll find out."


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's note: After this one, we're going to skip ahead a bit. Just letting you know.__ Some Russian in this chapter, translations at the bottom. And if you are a native speaker and I have put something wrong, please don't hesitate to correct me._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Nineteen

"Good-bye, Rory." Sydney kissed her little face. "I'll miss you." She put Lorelei into her car seat and strapped her in. She stepped back and looked at Adrian for several moments. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her eyes into his shoulder. "I didn't think it would be this hard again. We've done this."

Adrian kissed her head and rubbed her back. "In a year I'll be able to stay for longer stretches. And I'll be here for Thanksgiving."

"What about Christmas?"

"Would you be comfortable coming to me? I think my dad will demand I be there to show myself."

"I think I can handle it. Depending on my work schedule."

"We'll see, then." He took her face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs across her cheekbones. "You're going to be great. You'll pass all your classes with flying colors. And you'll get a job you like. And you will become an amazing and well-sought-after architect."

"One step at a time, sweetheart. I'll turn in all the applications I gathered yesterday. And I'll go register for classes. And I'll go from there." She pushed herself up on her toes and covered his mouth with hers.

Adrian opened his mouth to her. He slid his arms around her back, cradling her to his chest. Sydney tangled a hand into his hair and gathered his shirt in her other. The kiss continued. Adrian gathered her even closer.

Sydney broke the kiss and pressed a kiss to his jaw and then rested her head on his shoulder. "Be careful. And take care of that baby."

"I'll do my best."

They shared one more kiss and then parted.

"Call me?" She asked.

"Sure thing, baby." He leaned over Lorelei to check on her. "Tell Sydney goodbye, Rory."

Sydney gave the baby one last kiss. She slept on.

"I love you." Adrian said. He cupped her cheek and brushed a kiss across her lips.

"I love you." She stepped back and watched him get into his car. She watched them drive away and then went back to her apartment to finish getting ready for her day.

* * *

Adrian carried Lorelei into Rose and Dimitri's apartment that night. She smiled when she saw her mother.

"How is Sydney?" She asked as she cuddled her baby close.

"Settling in. She has an interview tomorrow for a job as a barista." He said the last with a bit of an inflection. He smiled. "It'll be the perfect job for her if she gets it."

"It will be. Can you stay for supper?"

"Thank you, but no. I have to go. I make my own collegiate move tomorrow." He tickled Lorelei's cheek. "I'll miss you, baby girl."

"She'll miss you, too, Daddy."

"I'll call and stuff. And I'm not too far away."

"You'll see her next weekend. I know it's not a big consolation, but it's something."

Dimitri came in singing something under his breath. When he spotted the baby he exclaimed, "Sasha! Moya krasivaya devochka."

"Privet, Papochka." Rose said, holding up the baby's hand in a wave.

Dimitri gathered the baby and kissed her again and again. "YA tak po tebe skulchala."

"I need to be going." Adrian said, stepping toward the door.

"You're leaving so soon?" Dimitri asked.

"I have things to do before I move." He kissed Lorelei once more. "Daddy will see you soon, baby." He heaved a sigh. "See you guys later."

At his apartment, he sat down on the couch and stared at the wall. "Just a year. Only a year and then I'll be with them."

His phone rang and he answered it without hesitation.

"I get a goodbye, right?" Jill asked.

"Right. What are you doing right now?"

"Just hanging out with some friends." She giggled and said, "Stop it."

"Are you making out with Eddie?"

"No, I'm _hanging_ out with Eddie. He just can't keep his hands off me every time my mom leaves the room."

Adrian laughed. "So why are you calling me? Spend time with your boyfriend while you can."

"I get plenty of time with him. I haven't had a lot of time with _you_. And now you're going far enough away for college that I'll probably only see you once a week." She paused. "Can we meet at the diner?"

"With Eddie?"

"If that's okay with you?"

"It is. I might add a couple more. Let me make a call. Fifteen minutes." He hung up and dialed Rose. "Hey, have you started cooking yet?"

"No, Dimitri and I were just discussing that. Did you change your mind?"

"Kind of. Jill wants to eat at the diner down the road from me. Would you like to join us? Eddie will be with her."

"So you'd rather be a fifth wheel than a third wheel?" She joked.

He chuckled. "Well in this case, if the four of you start acting all lovey-dovey, I have Rory to give me attention."

She laughed. "Let me ask Dimitri."

He heard murmured conversation and Dimitri's laugh.

Rose got back on the phone, "Sure. Are you heading over there now?"

"Yeah."

"We'll see you there."

* * *

"Rory, Rose, and Dimitri are coming." Adrian explained as he scooted into the space beside Jill.

"Squeeze in those extra minutes with your baby?" His friend teased.

"Yes. Of course."

The group walked in just then. Rose slid into the booth next to Adrian with the carrier between them. He leaned over and talked to Lorelei while the others greeted each other.

"We're an interesting group?" Eddie pointed out.

Adrian noticed Jill squeezing his knee under the table. There was another guardian standing outside the diner.

"As long as you do your job, Castile, no one will notice." Adrian teased. "Like not getting distracted by your girlfriend."

Eddie shrugged. "There are two other guardians here at the table alone."

He chuckled and draped his arm over Jill's shoulders. "Don't let him fall down on the job just because you're hot."

"You think I'm hot?" Jill smiled and moved closer to him. "Maybe we can move on to another stage in our friendship." She started laughing then. "No, I can't even thing about that without laughing."

"Other than the fact that it would be the biggest bedroom disaster of my life, you're really not my type." He kissed her temple.

"Right. You prefer humans."

"And this adorable little baby." He leaned over the carrier and tickled Lorelei's stomach. He laughed when she did. "She's just so cute."

"I think her eyes are going to be green." Rose said, leaning close.

"I hope so. My dad would just love it."

"Still not happy about this?" Eddie asked.

Adrian sighed, "He'd just rather I threw money Rose's way and pretended Rory didn't exist. Like all the other Moroi."

"The Ivashkovs are some of the worst." Dimitri said solemnly.

"Yeah." Adrian picked the baby up and held her to his chest. "But not this one. I show her off to anyone who will stand still long enough."

Adrian held the baby while he ate. Rose told him several times that he didn't have to, but he did anyway. He never thought he'd miss her already when she was still with him.

* * *

"Sleep well, baby girl." Adrian said, laying Lorelei into her crib. "And don't give Mommy and Papochka a hard time. You'll see me in a couple weeks." He leaned down and kissed her again. He walked back into the living room to find Dimitri and Rose on the couch together. "I'll call. And come to pick her up for my weekend."

"We'll send you pictures." Dimitri assured him.

"And any updates." Rose added. "And we can probably meet you there during the week. It really isn't that far away."

"Thank you." Adrian said. "I appreciate you letting me be part of her life."

"And I appreciate you wanting to be part of it. It's like you said, most of them don't even care that they helped create a life." She stood and met him in the middle of the room. "Do your best. Go to class. I don't have to tell you not to get caught up with chasing girls because you already have one you love."

He smiled. "Don't drink. Don't use Spirit when I don't have to. Try to stay sane." He hugged her. "Take care of our daughter, Rose."

"I'll do my best." She patted his back. "Be safe."

He nodded and stepped back. He held out his hand to Dimitri. "Don't spoil her too much, huh?"

The guardian laughed as he shook the Moroi's hand. "No more than you would, Adrian."

He nodded and looked toward the nursery once more. "I have to go."

As he walked toward his apartment, his phone rang. It was Sydney.

"What are you doing up so early?" He teased.

She laughed, her voice filling his ear. "Well, I wanted call and see how everything is going."

He blew out a sigh, "I'm okay. Not ready to leave Rory."

"You're not so far away. And I'm sure Rose and Dimitri would be more than happy to let you have her as often as possible."

"I'm sure they would, but she's got a place here at the daycare. I'd have to find a new one. And it would screw up both our schedules. Best to just let her come on weekends." He chuckled, "Most college guys lose sleep weekends staying up all night and partying. I'm going to lose sleep for a baby."

"Well, you're a different kind of college guy, sweetheart."

"I love it when you call me that." He crooned.

"You do? I worried that you wouldn't."

"No, I love it. I love you. You have an interview today, don't you?"

"Yes. At ten. I've got plenty of time. I'm going to slowly get ready. Count down the days until I can see you again."

He walked into his bedroom to finish his packing. "Then I'll probably send you a good luck text in a few hours. I need to go sign a few more papers at the apartment. I'm about to leave."

"Have you slept at all?"

"A little. I'll sleep when I get there. I'm fine."

"You better be." She warned. "I'll let you go. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll call you when I get there."

"Good."

* * *

Sydney called Adrian that afternoon. She was sure he would be asleep, but he answered and sounded fresh.

"Hey, baby. What's up?"

"I got a job." She said happily. "I didn't think I'd be excited for minimum wage. But I got it! I start tomorrow morning. And when classes start, they'll work around my schedule there."

Adrian chuckled. "I haven't heard you this excited for something in a while."

"Well, I am. Very. And I did it on my own. Adrian, I finally feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to do."

"You are, baby. And you'll be great at everything. I can feel _that_." He sighed, "God, I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Marry me?"

She laughed. "I'm not answering that over the phone."

"When will you say yes?" He asked softly.

"One day. But I thought we agreed we'd wait a few years."

He sighed. "We did. But it won't keep me from asking every once in a while."

"When the time is right, I'll let you know. Okay?"

"Okay. I want to do it up romantically."

"Then maybe don't ask me over the phone." She laughed. "I may turn the tables and get down on one knee myself."

"That would be hot."

She paused. "Hot?"

"Yeah, you know, you taking charge. I think it's hot."

"Oh, you like when I take charge, huh? Just wait until you see me next time."

He growled into the phone. "Is that a promise?"

"Yeah, it might be."

"You're the best girlfriend ever, you know that?"

She laughed seductively into the phone. "I do what I can."

"Would you ever consider….doing it over the phone?"

"Not in this stage in our relationship." She was back to her old self. "Only when we're together. I'm not that kind of girl, Adrian."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I was just testing the waters. But you didn't say never."

"No, I didn't say never. I might get pretty desperate over the spring semester." She laughed. "That's a long stretch of time without you. And we may not have Spring Break at the same time or at times that make it easy to get together."

"So can I pencil you in?" He asked.

She giggled. "Yes, we might try it then."

"I look forward to it."

"I should let you go and get some sleep."

"Talk with me for just a while longer?"

"About what?"

"Tell me what you're doing."

She explained, "Making myself a cup of coffee. I'm considering what I might make myself for supper. Feeling lonely."

"Want to spend the weekend together?"

"I may have to work."

"Then I'll learn to like coffee and spend all weekend drinking it at the coffee shop."

She laughed. "They do have hot chocolate and smoothies and stuff. Cookies."

"Success!"

"Are you sure you can make it?"

"Yeah, I think so. I won't have Rory this weekend. So it will just be us."

"Good. I guess. But I miss her."

"I miss her too." His voice was tight.

"Hey, it's okay."

She heard him take a shaky breath. "God, what am I doing, Sydney?"

"You're doing something to prove to your daughter that there's a chance to become better than everyone expected of you. No one ever thought you'd finish school or that you'd ever even grow up, but you've made it by leaps and bounds. And I love you for it. And you're almost done. So just keep going and do your best."

"I love you, Syd. I guess I can let you go now. I need to sleep." He sounded reluctant.

"Yes, you do. We didn't get much while you were here and you were probably up all night with Rory."

"I napped a bit when she did. When I decided not to stare at her." He chuckled. "Call me tomorrow after you get done with your first day. Let me know how it went."

"I will."

* * *

_Translations:_

_Sasha, my beautiful baby girl._

_Hello, Papochka (Daddy)._

_I missed you so much._


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's note: There's lots of adorableness in this chapter. If you follow me on Tumblr, you got a little preview of a nice bit of this. Please feel free to let me know what you think._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty

"Where are you?" Sydney asked impatiently as she paced her apartment.

"Almost there, baby." Adrian reassured her. "Don't worry. And I have a special someone with me."

"I'm so glad you got to bring Rory. Rose and Dimitri are okay with it?"

He chuckled. "Yes. They are both on duty until the weekend, so instead of making her stay at the daycare, she's with me. Well, with us."

"Great! I can't wait to see you both. I miss that little girl. And you."

"We both miss you." He said.

"Yeah." She paused. "I've invited a couple friends for tomorrow."

"Oh?"

"If you don't mind."

"Of course I don't. Not much we can do about it, though, since you already invited them."

She laughed. "True."

"We're turning down your street. Meet us outside? You can cuddle the baby and I'll get everything else?"

"I'll very happily take you up on that offer. See you in a minute." She hung up the phone, picked up her keys, and headed out the door.

Adrian pulled into the apartment building's garage in a car with all the bells and whistles to keep them safe. She missed the Ivashkinator, but he needed a different car for transporting Lorelei. She reached in the back and picked her up out of the car seat.

"Hello, Rory." She kissed the baby's face. "Oh, I've missed you. You're getting so big."

"Isn't she?" Adrian wrapped his arms around Sydney and pressed a kiss to her lips. "God, I missed you." He kissed her again, their mouths opening simultaneously and their tongues slid along together lazily.

Sydney raised her hand and cupped his cheek. "I love you so much."

"And I love you." He brushed another kiss across her lips and then stepped back.

"It's cold. And there's a chance of snow, so let's get inside. I have a cup of hot chocolate with your name on it."

"Mmm. Sounds great." He took the bags out of the back seat and followed as Sydney headed inside.

"I have to go to work in a couple hours. I tried to switch, but so many of the kids took off for the next few days to go home."

"It's fine. Do you work tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I open. We're closing at noon so everyone can spend time with their families."

"So when are we eating and such?"

Sydney let them into her apartment. "I told everyone around eight."

He started making a cup of coffee for Sydney and hot chocolate for himself. "How many people? What are we eating?"

"Two other couples from the building and this girl I work with. So five others. Sadie is bringing sweet potatoes, Andrew and Carla are bringing stuffing, and Paula and Alex are bringing salad. We're doing turkey and pumpkin pie."

"Sounds good." He handed her coffee as he sat down on the couch beside her. "I think she missed you."

She smiled down at the baby asleep in her arms. "I definitely missed her. And you too." She smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "Good coffee."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You too, baby." He watched the others for a while, combing his fingers through Sydney's hair. "I figured we can wake her up earlier and let her sleep some of the night so she's not asleep _all_ day."

"Sounds good." She moved into his side. "I wish I didn't have to work this afternoon."

"How late will you be?"

"I get off at seven."

"I'll cook for you." She turned her face up and he kissed her. "But I'll miss you every minute."

"I'll miss you too." She kissed him again. "Would you mind going and picking up a few things from the grocery store for me?"

"No problem. You have the turkey and everything?"

"I have the turkey, but I didn't agree to the pumpkin pie until today and I don't have the ingredients. So could you get them for me? Would you mind?"

"No problem, baby." He kissed her. "Just five hours."

"We still have about an hour before I have to shower and then go. If you want, you can bring this precious girl to the coffee shop for a while. I'll give you stale cookies. And everyone wants to meet you. I talk about you a lot."

"You talk about me?" He smiled.

"Of course I talk about you. They ask, I talk."

"And what do they ask?"

"My first day, they started asking about my life. I didn't say much. Besides my tattoo, I don't show off anything. But I let it slip one day that I was planning for the baby's arrival. And of course I had to tell everyone about you and Rory."

"Do they ask a lot about your tattoo?" He ran his knuckles over her cheek.

"Not anymore. I just told them it was a silly thing I did one day at a little hole-in-the-wall tattoo parlor." She shrugged. "No one's too interested."

"Good." He pressed a kiss to the cheek bearing the tattoo. "Put her down for a while. I want to kiss you properly."

Sydney caught his mouth and then stood. She placed the baby in the play pen she left in the corner of the room. Then she returned to the couch with Adrian and sat down on his lap. She placed her hands on his cheeks and smiled as she ran her fingers over his skin. "Stubble. You rarely ever have stubble."

"I was in a hurry to leave today. I didn't take the time to shave. And it takes forever for me to grow it anyway."

She examined his face. "Maybe you should grow it out. It might be attractive on you."

"You think so?" He rubbed his cheek.

"Yeah. Maybe not a full beard. That would look weird. But you should play around with it."

He pressed a kiss to her mouth, ran his hands down her sides. "You feel good under my hands."

"We don't have enough time for much." She pointed out.

"We have enough time for this." He reclined her on the couch and covered her mouth with his. Their tongues moved across each other smoothly.

Sydney moaned and slipped a hand under the back of his shirt. She tangled the other in his hair. He broke the kiss and smiled down at her. He brushed his lips across hers and then moved to her jaw. He nipped at her skin, making her giggle. He did it again and got the same result. He kissed her neck and then began gently sucking.

She pushed him away. "Hey, none of that. I have a reputation."

He chuckled against her skin and licked the spot before he made his way back to her mouth again. The kiss continued lazily for a long time. Sydney removed her hand from his shirt and slid it up his side. She cupped his cheeks and gently pushed him away.

She sighed. "I could do this all day."

He moaned, "Me too." He pressed his mouth to hers again and she let him kiss her for a while longer.

But she pushed him away again. "I need to get ready for work."

He looked at the clock. "Ten more minutes." He lowered his mouth to hers once more.

She laughed. "I can't do ten more minutes, Adrian. I really do need to get ready for work."

He rested his head against hers and then pushed himself up. "Rory and I will get bundled back up and go shopping and then we'll come down to the coffee shop and hang out."

She rubbed his thigh. "I'll make you my favorite smoothie."

He gasped dramatically. "You drink other things than coffee?"

She laughed and pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand. "They like us to know what we're recommending."

He leaned back down and kissed her again. He combed his fingers through her hair. "I'm glad your hair is finally completely blonde again. I was getting tired of the brunette."

She reached up and placed her hand on his chest. "It's still me underneath. I didn't change much, just my hair color."

"I know." He gave her another kiss. "Okay, you have to get dressed for work and I have to…figure some things out."

"What things?"

"How I'm going to keep myself busy at the coffee shop."

She pointed to a small book shelf on the opposite end of the room from where Lorelei slept. "Plenty of books to choose from. And you left those colored pencils here last time."

He nodded, "I _did_ bring my sketch book."

"So you can draw people and things and impress the girls even more." She sighed, "My incredibly attractive boyfriend with the amazing artistic talent and a wonderfully adorable daughter. Every single one of them is going to be so jealous." She sat up and stretched. "Maybe not Jolene. She's a lesbian."

His eyes lit up playfully. "I like lesbians. Has she ever tried to hit on you?"

"Lesbians don't hit on every female they see." She pointed out as she walked into her bedroom.

He followed. "But you're hot. You should be hit on by one out of every ten people. At least."

She laughed. "I'd rather just get attention from you, sweetheart." She picked up some clothes and headed into the bathroom.

He sat down on the bed. "You get plenty of it."

"I do." She peeked out of the door. "Would you mind getting some more soap while you're out? My bottle's almost empty and I forgot to get some when I went shopping last."

He smiled. "Sure, baby, no problem."

"Thanks." She ducked back into the bathroom but left the door cracked. "I got a call from my mom the other day." She started the shower.

"Your mom? How did she get your number?"

"E-mail. We've been talking a bit. She and my dad have been fighting a lot. She's staying with Carly for a while until they work some things out."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Me too. No matter what he ever said or did to me, I know he really did love us all in some way. And my mom…well, she's never loved anyone else like she loved him. And he does what he does because he believes in it. I got to give him credit for that at least."

"Yeah." He listened to the shower running for a while. Then he called, "Hey, baby, is it weird to you that Rose and I are so close?"

"No. Not really. She's the mother of your child. You need to be on good terms for Lorelei's sake."

The shower stopped and she stepped slightly into view. Adrian leaned forward and pushed the door open the rest of the way. She smiled at him and went about drying herself off.

"That's my thought, but other than Jill and you, she's my closest friend."

"And?"

"It's just that a couple of my classmates said I was kind of an ass to talk to my baby's mother as much as I talk to my girlfriend. And Jill, but she's something different and I know you understand _that_ relationship. I wanted to get your opinion on it."

She wrapped the towel around herself and leaned against the door frame. "I'm not jealous. I know you love me. I know that you love Rose, but in a completely different way. And if Dimitri or I were concerned, we'd let you know. At least I would, I can't really speak for him. For Lorelei's sake, I want to continue to be Rose's friend. I want _you_ to continue to be her friend. Let's set a good example for our little girl."

He smiled and nodded. "I completely agree."

Sydney returned to the bathroom and dressed. "I mean, it's not like you don't need to talk to her. Figuring out how Rory is going to get places and when she's getting there. And I know that I like knowing she and Dimitri are still going strong as much as I'm sure she hopes it for us. This is your child we're talking about. Not talking to Rose would be unfair."

Adrian grinned. "I love you. Have I told you that enough?"

"I think so." She stepped out of the bathroom. "And now I must go." She leaned down and placed a kiss on his lips. "See you soon?"

"Very soon." He stood and walked with her toward the door.

* * *

Sydney watched the door anxiously. She saw the stroller before she saw the man pushing it. She jumped and rounded the counter as her coworkers laughed. She opened the door as Adrian backed through it.

"Hey, baby." He grinned down at her and brushed a kiss across her lips.

"Hi." She leaned over the stroller and pulled the blanket off Lorelei's face. The baby was sound asleep. "I thought you were going to wake her up." She teased softly.

"I couldn't bring myself to it just yet." He ran a hand down her arm. "Where should I sit?"

She pointed to a spot in the corner. "That's my favorite place to sit on my breaks. You can see the whole place."

"Good."

"I'll make you that smoothie." She stepped away and walked behind the counter.

Another customer came in and Sadie took the order. She stepped beside Sydney. "He is so hot!" She exclaimed.

She laughed. "Well, thank you."

"Let me bring that to him and get a better look." She held up the plain coffee she was making for the other customer. "That guy's almost as boring as you." She took the finished smoothie in return and walked across the room.

Sydney shook her head and handed the cup to the man waiting for it. "Here you are sir. May I get you anything else?"

"No, this'll be fine." He nodded and moved to a table across the room.

She looked over to the group on the other side of the café. Adrian had Sadie laughing. She leaned over and touched his arm. He smiled kindly at her and moved away slightly. She dropped her hand and then spoke for a little while longer.

She walked back behind the counter. "Oh, my god, how hot is he?"

"So hot." She smiled over at her boyfriend.

Jolene chuckled. "Yeah, he's pretty cute."

The other two girls eyed her.

"What? I can't appreciate a good-looking guy? I think we've had this discussion before." She walked off to the back of the store. She groaned, "I have to go clean things."

Adrian now had his sketch pad out and was watching them fleetingly as he worked. He winked.

Sadie sighed. "How did you get so lucky? A hot boy. An adorable baby. I'm so freaking jealous."

Sydney laughed. "I almost turned him down."

"No way."

She nodded. "It's complicated, but it wouldn't have worked out in my former life."

Her friend chuckled. "You talk like you were in the CIA or something."

Sydney shrugged. "My dad was really over-protective. So I grew up…It was hard to get past it."

"Sounds like it. My mom went through the same thing with her father. She was really chill with my sister and me."

"And I plan on being relaxed with Rory and any other kids Adrian and I have."

"So you plan on more, huh?" Adrian asked behind her.

She jumped and turned. "You scared me."

"I drew something for you, Sadie." He handed a sketch across the counter and then walked away with a wink.

Sadie picked up the paper to find a rendering of herself. She blushed. "I never thought I was that pretty."

"You are." She assured her friend. "And Adrian could see it."

"Lucky, lucky woman." She walked away to help a new customer.

After a while, Lorelei woke up and Adrian fed her a bottle. He held her on his lap afterward and continued to sketch, churning out one right after another. He handed a few of them to the subjects, especially if they noticed he was drawing them.

He worked for a long time on one drawing as the last hour of Sydney's shift came to an end. When she came over, he quickly shut the sketchbook.

"What are you working on there?" She asked, reaching for the corner of the book.

He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. "A surprise."

"When do I get to see it?" She asked expectantly.

He stuffed the book and his pencils into the diaper bag on the back of the stroller. "Not tonight." He brushed a kiss across her lips.

"I'm done here. So, whenever you're ready…"

"I'm so ready."

Sydney played with Lorelei on the floor of the apartment as Adrian cooked supper. The baby cycled between fussing and talking.

"She's tired." Sydney commented.

"Try to keep her up just a little bit longer." Adrian said.

"It will be okay if she doesn't sleep much tonight." His girlfriend pointed out.

"I know. But I want some quiet alone time with you."

"It would seem the challenge with having a daughter on vampire time will be you and me getting that time. Especially once she gets older and doesn't sleep as much." Sydney scooped the baby up and held her close to her chest.

"Yeah. But we'll figure it out." Adrian said. "I've almost got this done."

"I'll feed her a bottle and put her to sleep." Sydney said, walking into the kitchen.

He nodded. "That works."

Lorelei started crying as soon as Sydney started making the bottle.

"Sh, baby, it's okay. You'll get some food in just a minute." She assured the baby in her arms.

She started crying harder.

Adrian leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You'll be okay, Rory. Calm down."

As soon as Sydney stuck the bottle in her mouth, she finally did calm down. She sucked the bottle dry and immediately fell asleep. Sydney kissed her before she placed her in her bed. She covered her with her blanket.

Adrian stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek. "I love how much you love my daughter."

"She's easy to love." She threaded her fingers with his.

"She is." He kissed her cheek again. "Food is ready."

"Good, I'm starving." She pulled him toward the table.


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's note: This chapter features a line I saw on a Tumblr text post that I thought was so Adrian. See if you can spot it._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-One

Sadie was the first to arrive.

Adrian answered the door and smirked. "Admit it, you just wanted to be the first so you could gawk at me some more. Come on, I won't be upset. Sydney won't either. She knows how hot I am."

The young woman laughed. "Well, that's part of it. But only a small part. I also wanted a chance to play with your baby." She walked around him and placed a bowl on the counter.

"Don't let him give you a hard time." Sydney said from the couch as she fed Lorelei.

Sadie walked over and sat down beside her.

"Here, give it a go." She passed the baby over. "I have to check on the turkey."

"I got it, baby." Adrian called.

Sadie was a little awkward as she held the baby. "She's so small."

"Not too small." Sydney rubbed Lorelei's head.

"I've never been around babies." She said nervously.

"I hadn't since my younger sister. About sixteen years ago."

Sadie gave her a critical look. "A younger sister?"

She forgot she hadn't said anything about her family to Sadie.

Sydney worked her jaw a moment and then said, "One younger, one older. But we're estranged."

The baby pushed the bottle away and started crying.

Sydney took her back and she quieted. "It's okay, baby girl. Sadie is a friend."

She blinked at the other woman and then turned her face to Sydney. She smiled.

Sydney covered her eyes and then moved them away. "Boo!"

Lorelei laughed.

Sydney repeated the game several times, the baby on her lap laughing every time. Sadie watched them.

Adrian appeared behind her shoulder and she let out a happy sound.

"Do you see Daddy?" Sydney asked.

"So, Sadie, what are your thoughts?" Adrian said as he took his daughter and sat her in the middle of the floor with her toys.

"You make a really cute family." She answered. "When are you and Sydney getting married?"

"Ask my girlfriend." He said, eyeing the other young woman on the couch.

Sydney was spared answering by a knock at the door.

"We got a table and some stuffing." Andrew announced when he walked through the door. "Where do you want them?"

"You didn't bring chairs?" Sydney asked with a smile.

"They're still next door." Carla said. She leaned in. "Introduce me to the boyfriend."

She did.

Adrian shook hands and then hefted Lorelei up into his arms, "Hey, wanna see what I made?"

Carla laughed and then gushed, "Oh, she's so cute! The very image of you, Adrian."

"Thank you."

"Hey, the party's here." Alex announced as he walked through the open door. He held up two bottles of wine. "You're having a glass of this tonight, Sydney. No arguments."

"One of us needs to stay sharp, Alex." She said. "Meet my boyfriend. He will definitely help you drink that wine."

"Fantastic, Adrian! You are my new favorite person."

More introductions were made and everyone cooed over the baby. She clung to her father, not even wanting to be held by Sydney.

Alex handed out glasses of wine. Sydney took hers and took one sip. She smiled and poured the contents into Adrian's glass.

"Just don't overdo it." She begged softly.

He nodded.

"It really will be okay for her to eat the sweet potatoes and turkey?"

"Yes. Just stick them through the blender together. She might like it. She already likes sweet potatoes." He strapped Lorelei into the high chair. "You hungry, baby girl?"

Everyone gathered around the tables. Sydney handed a bowl to Adrian with the pureed food. She kissed the top of Lorelei's head and then took a seat.

As they ate, Carla said, "I think we should talk about what we're thankful for. I know it's cheesy, but it's what we always do with my family back home."

"We do that too." Sadie said. "Let me go first."

Adrian handed Lorelei a rattle when she was done eating.

"Adrian, it's your turn." Sadie prompted.

"Naw, mine's too embarrassing."

"Sydney and Rory?" She asked.

"Yes. And my best friend." _Who is probably listening in right now_, he added in his mind. He was rewarded with a text.

"_I'm thankful for the life you gave back to me._" Jill wrote.

Sydney squeezed his hand. "I'm thankful for your best friend, too."

"Why are you thankful for your boyfriend's best friend?" Paula asked.

She smiled. "She helped bring us together." She rubbed Lorelei's head. "This one helped, too."

"Gag." Alex said. "More wine anyone?"

"Not you. I'm cutting you off, baby." Paula said, taking the bottle and his glass away before he poured himself any more. "I think it's really sweet, Sydney."

"Thank you." She got up and took away the plates while Adrian got out dessert plates. She sat the pot of coffee in the middle of the table after pouring a cup for herself. She scooped up a small bite of pie and gave it to Lorelei.

She made a face as she mashed the food. Then she opened her mouth for more. Everyone laughed. Sydney fed the baby more between her own bites. She fell asleep on the tray of her chair.

Andrew and Sadie got to work on the dishes and everyone else joined in with the clean-up. Adrian put Lorelei to bed.

And then finally they were alone once more. They curled up together on the bed. Adrian combed his fingers through Sydney's hair.

"So what did you think?" She asked. She rested her hand on his hip.

"I really liked Andrew and Carla. Alex was a bit of a jerk once he finished that bottle by himself. But Paula knows how to handle him."

"Yeah, he's worse with the harder stuff. And Sadie?"

"She's a sweet kid."

"Hm." She wrapped her arm around his waist. "I think they all liked you."

"Yeah." He kissed her. "You look tired, baby."

She yawned. "I am."

"You should sleep. You've been up for a long time."

"Rory will be up soon."

"And I'll get her, Sage. You sleep. I'll hold you."

"You haven't called me that in a while." She said sleepily.

He shrugged. "I'm resigning myself to you being a Sage for a while longer."

Sydney slipped her hand up the back of his shirt. "You're not really upset by it, are you?"

"When you touch me like that, I'm not upset by much." Adrian crooned as he rolled onto his back and pulled his girlfriend on top of him.

"I'm tired, Adrian." She pressed a kiss to his lips and then rested her head on his chest. She was very quickly asleep.

Adrian dozed, but he woke up every time Sydney moved. She rolled away and he followed, holding her close until Lorelei woke up.

He changed her diaper and fed her a bottle. She was still not ready back to sleep after that. He put her on the floor and watched her as she played. She pushed herself up on her hands and then found her way to her knees.

"Are you going to start crawling, Rory?" He asked as he pulled out his phone.

She smiled up at him and lifted one hand as he filmed her. As he watched, she moved forward a little and then fell forward and started crying.

"It's okay, baby girl." He picked her up and trained the phone on her again.

She attempted the move again and was brought forward slightly. And then she did it again once more before deciding she was tired of it. She dropped down to her stomach and then rolled onto her back and put her foot in her mouth.

"A very good start, Rory. I've got to send this to Mommy." He tapped a few things out on his phone then went on watching his daughter talk to the ceiling.

His phone rang and he answered it quickly. "Hey, Rose."

"Hi. Thank you for sending that. I'll have to show Dimitri."

"It's no problem."

"We'll have to keep an eye out. She's going to get away from us if we're not careful."

"Yeah." He said a little forlornly.

"So how was your Thanksgiving dinner?" She asked, settling in for a long chat.

"Sydney has some interesting friends. Rory was a little unsure of them. Too many humans fawning all over her, I think."

"Yeah, that could be confusing. The only human in her life is Sydney. And she has a tattoo on her cheek to tell her apart."

"Yeah."

She hesitated. "Have you had that talk with her yet?"

"The Mom Talk?"

"Yeah." She sounded a little nervous.

"Not yet. I haven't figured out a way to start that conversation. She loves, Rory, but I don't know if she would feel comfortable with being called Mom."

"Well, she _is_ her mom as much as Dimitri is her dad. I should have talked with her about this when you and he did."

He sighed. "At the time, Sydney was still an Alchemist and not an entirely permanent fixture in her life. You had to have been nervous about that."

"Yeah. I'm still nervous. I know she loves Sydney. I know _you_ love Sydney. But is it going to last the way you have to do it?"

"We'll make it last. I'm not letting her go."

"Unlike me?"

"You were different. And I was still working hard to get Spirit under control. I've got it mostly figured out now."

"Good."

"Rory is getting tired again. I need to put her back to bed and get some sleep myself."

"Let me talk to her?"

He smiled. "Sure. Hold on." He picked the baby up and pressed the phone to her ear. "Say hi to Mommy."

He heard Rose talking on the other end. Lorelei cooed and grinned. Adrian took the phone back after a moment.

"She misses you."

"I'm sure she's having a good time." She said grudgingly. "Tell Sydney hello for me."

"I will. Talk to you later, Rose." He hung up and picked the baby up on his shoulder.

"I thought I heard voices." Sydney said from the doorway to her bedroom.

Adrian turned. "I was just talking with Rose. Lorelei crawled a little." He pulled the video up on his phone as his girlfriend sat down.

"Oh, wow." She tickled Lorelei's cheek. "You are getting so big. You'll be moving all over the place before we know it. I'll have to do another check of the apartment before your next visit."

"I need to talk to you about something." He said after a moment.

"You're breaking up with me." She said with a challenge in her eyes.

He chuckled. "No. Of course not." He looked down at Lorelei who was now snoozing on his shoulder. "Rose wants you to know that if you feel comfortable with it, she would be okay with you prompting Rory to call you Mom."

Sydney examined him for a moment. She brushed a hand over the baby's hair. "I'm not…" She sighed. "I don't know, Adrian."

"You don't have to. Don't feel obligated. It's just she was talking with Dimitri and they started wondering why she didn't discuss it with you."

She chewed her lip and rested her head on his shoulder. "I want Rory to have the choice. I don't like saying it, but something could still go wrong with us. And I don't want her to feel like I abandoned her."

"Whether you're Mom or Sydney, she'd still feel that way. You're in her life. She loves you." He kissed her temple. "We both do."

"And I love both of you." She looked rubbed the baby's back. "Put her to bed. Let's get some sleep."

Adrian walked into the bedroom after he put Lorelei back to bed to find Sydney curled on her side facing away from him. He got in behind her and kissed her shoulder as he pulled her close to his chest.

"I don't want you to leave tomorrow." She said softly.

"We'll have longer at Winter Break."

"I'll have to work. Christmas Eve will be like today. And I don't know if I'll be able to get off."

"So I'll come here if that's okay."

"That's fine. With Rory?"

"We still haven't ironed out those details yet." He kissed her shoulder again. "I hope to have her at least part of the time."

"Yes." Sydney yawned and rolled over in Adrian's arms. "Sleep."

"Yeah, you need that." He brushed a kiss across her lips. "Good night."


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's note: Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I'm curious._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Two

Sydney woke Adrian with a soft kiss just under his jaw and trailed her lips down his neck. He wrapped his arms around her as she continued to kiss along his shoulder and back. She kissed the corner of his mouth and then sat back and looked down at him with a smile.

"I notice you didn't attempt a full-mouth kiss."

"You have horrible morning breath."

He chuckled. "Sorry about that."

She shook her head. "What would you like for breakfast?" She combed her fingers through his hair.

"French toast?" he asked, his eyes still half-closed.

"I can make that happen. Rory is fed and playing in the living room floor."

He nodded and stretched. "You didn't have to feed her. You could have woken me up."

"But you were so peaceful. And I like spending time with her, just us. She and I haven't gotten a lot of quality bonding time."

He rubbed her leg. "Give me a few more minutes to wake up and brush my teeth and I'll be in to help."

"Take all the time you need." She leaned down and kissed the corner of his mouth once more.

Sydney walked back into the living room to find Lorelei on her back, babbling up at the ceiling and gnawing on her hand. She leaned over the baby and got a smile.

"Daddy is awake. He'll be in here to play with you soon enough." She kissed Lorelei's forehead and felt a surge of pride when she let out a soft, contented sound. "Sydney loves you, too, baby."

"Mama Sydney." Adrian said from the doorway.

"Just Sydney." She corrected and stood. "Anything you'd like to go with the French toast, baby?"

"Baby?"

"I didn't stutter." She smiled over her shoulder as she started to gather ingredients.

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "You." He pressed his lips to her neck.

"Your daughter is awake and just on the other side of the island." She pointed out, stepping out of his arms.

He followed and rested a hand on her backside. "You were the one who said something about showing her a healthy relationship."

"That doesn't include us making out with her just out of sight." She stepped away again.

"But I like kissing you."

"You also like to eat. And if you want to eat, _baby_, you'll stop trying to feel me up."

He placed one more kiss to her cheek and then stepped away, calling, "Where's my Rory?" He lifted her up off the floor and held her high in the air. "There is my sweet girl! There's Daddy's little girl. Lorelei!"

She laughed and reached her hands out. She babbled to him as he gathered her to his chest. He sat down on the other side of the island and bounced her on his knee as he and Sydney spoke.

"She's going to have a hard time getting used to the change of schedule."

"What about when she's older? How will it all work?" She sat a plate in front of him.

"I don't know. Maybe go on a slightly altered schedule so it works better. Like maybe she and I can sleep until noon and go to sleep at four in the morning." He shrugged. "We'll figure it out."

"You'll be a painter. You can make your own schedule." She sat down beside him with her own food and a fresh cup of coffee.

"And what about you?" He brushed a finger down her cheek.

She smiled. "Well, I'll be an architect, probably working with a firm that will have set hours. I'll be awake with you in the evenings after work. We can eat supper together at least."

"When we don't have Rory, I'll share your schedule. When we do, I'll just shift things around a bit. There's no need to change it all the time."

"Will it be hard for you?"

He contemplated as he chewed. "Not as hard as it will be for Rory to adjust."

"I meant being up during the day. I can see how tired you sometimes are when you're on human schedule."

Adrian shrugged. "By the time we've been together a few years, you won't want me around as much." He grinned and leaned in for a kiss.

"Could be right. Especially if you're going to be staying here once you graduate." Sydney smirked and met him the rest of the way.

"I think we should find something bigger." He tried to kiss her again.

She moved away. "I don't want to talk about it now. We still have a while."

He was confused. "You don't want to move?"

"I already owe you and Abe a lot—"

"You're my girlfriend, Sage. You owe me nothing."

"Don't start that." She got up and started bringing the plates to the sink.

He sighed. "Are you mad now?"

"No. Not mad." She started washing up. "Just frustrated. I work my butt off to keep this apartment. And I you and I both know that if we move to a bigger apartment, you will be paying for it. No matter how much I offer or try, you won't let me. I'll end up being a kept woman and I couldn't stand that."

He watched her a moment before he asked, "So we live here and be in each other's hair? Just so you can pay all the bills. Because I can tell you, baby, two people living here full time is going to cost more."

"I know."

"And Rory's growing every day. When she visits—"

"I get it." She stopped him. She rested her hands on the sink and then turned. "I don't like that you have a lot of money. And I don't like that you throw it at me whenever you think I need it. Without even asking."

"I don't—"

"Just listen." She stepped closer and rested against the island. "I don't understand why you think you need to help me all the time. I've lived on my own on the other side of the world keeping your people secret. And I helped save your asses more times than I can count in Palm Springs, especially yours with your reckless attitude. Yeah, money is tight, but I can manage."

"You shouldn't have to just manage, Sydney." He said softly. "I want to help you. Please let me help you."

She watched him a moment. Lorelei started babbling. Sydney smiled at the baby, but when she looked back up at her boyfriend she was serious once again. "I need you to let me try to do it on my own."

"Don't get so far behind—"

"I won't." She walked around the island and placed her hands on his face. "I don't want money to be the thing we fight about."

"Me neither. I'll stop throwing it at you."

"Good." She leaned in for a kiss.

Before their lips touched he said, "I'll just stuff it in your panties." He stole a quick kiss before she realized what he said.

She slapped his chest playfully. "That just makes it sound worse."

"Not if you'd strip for me." He swatted her bottom.

"Not happening." She kissed the top of Lorelei's head and then moved away. "At least not until after we're married."

"And when is that going to happen?"

"In a few years." She said vaguely.

"I'll keep asking, you know."

"And I'll keep saying the same thing."

Adrian stood and put Lorelei in her bed and covered her up. She immediately rolled onto her side and fell asleep. He watched her. He would never tire of seeing his baby sleeping. He straightened up and made his way to Sydney. He took the plate out of her hand and let it drop back into the sink.

"I'll finish that in a bit." He took her hand and tugged her toward the bedroom.

"Adrian." She admonished.

"You've been busy with work and getting the apartment ready for guests. All we've done in bed since I got here was sleep." He sat down on the mattress and pulled her onto his lap and ran his hands over her thighs. "I'd like to kiss you all over."

"Is that going to be all?" She slipped her fingers into his hair.

"Let's just see." He rolled her underneath him and kissed her mouth gently and thoroughly.

Sydney tangled her legs with his. The kiss continued for a long time. Their hands roamed. Adrian flipped to his back, pulling Sydney on top of him.

She pulled her shirt off over her head and then leaned down and took control of the kiss once more. He slid his over her back. He found the clasp of her bra and unhooked it before she changed her mind.

She pulled him up to sit and tugged his shirt off. She leaned down and pressed a series of soft kisses to his shoulder before capturing his mouth again. His hands tangled in her hair. Her fingers made an agonizingly slow trail down his torso. Adrian moaned when they came to rest on the waistband of his jeans and he bucked his hips up.

Sydney smiled against his mouth. "Want me to take these off or something?"

"Please." He begged.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him again. "Not yet."

"Then it's my turn to tease you, I think." He cupped his hand around one of her breasts and rubbed his thumb over it as he kissed her deeply.

She moaned into his mouth and pushed him down on the bed. She braced her hands beside his head and looked down at him. "So how do you want to do this?"

"Are you feeling adventurous?" He asked with a smirk.

"How adventurous?" She kissed him.

He said tentatively, "You've never given me a blow job."

"Is that what you want?"

"Only if you want to try."

She blushed and admitted, "Well, I've been looking into tips on how to. So if that's what you want…"

He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb back and forth. "Please."

Sydney took a steadying breath and then leaned down to kiss him. She pushed his pants away and then dropped to the side of the bed.

Adrian followed, sitting up and watching her. She wrapped her hand around him and pumped it up and down.

"This won't be the best you've ever had." She warned.

"I'm sure it will be fine." He combed his fingers through her hair.

She nodded and leaned forward, taking the tip into her mouth and swirling her tongue around it. She continued to move her hand over him.

He let out a strangled gasp that sounded a little like her name and tightened his grip on her hair. The fingers of his other hand dug into her shoulder. His breathing became ragged. He watched as she lowered her head a little and then brought it back up. Not far. He wouldn't expect her to go very far. And where she was now was perfectly fine by him. The fact that she didn't know what she was doing only seemed to make it better for him. His breathing became ragged. Her tongue and teeth and lips and hand were all doing such glorious things. He never wanted this moment to end.

"Close, baby." He panted.

She sat back and finished him off with her hand as she watched his face. She always loved him in that moment. And the feel of him in her hand as he met the release. It always turned her on when she thought about what he would do to her in return when his pleasure had been met. He was always so generous, returning more than what he had been given.

He smiled down at her and then collapsed on the bed. "That was great. I'm going to have to ask for that again one of these days."

"Just not any time soon, okay?" She smiled and stood, pushing her pants down as she climbed into the bed.

He shook his head and watched her. He rolled onto his knees and tugged on her legs just below the knee as he moved between them. "Now, what would you like, my love?"

She smiled. "An exact exchange for everything I just gave you."

"Mm, fantastic. I love the way you taste." He gave her mouth a lingering kiss before trailing his tongue and lips at an excruciatingly slow pace down her body.

She arched against him. Sometimes she wished she could just crawl inside his skin. There was no way to be close enough to him otherwise.

And he did give back all that he received. It never ceased to amaze Sydney all the wonderful things Adrian could do with his tongue. Unfortunately, she came too quickly. Everything crashed around her not long after his mouth made first contact.

He kissed his way back up her body.

She sighed. "I wasn't expecting it to only take a few seconds."

"That's just how it is sometimes, baby. No shame in it."

She nodded and rolled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. Adrian combed his fingers through her hair. She slowly dozed off. He listened to the sounds all around him. The neighbors next door had the TV on a bit too loud; some action movie was playing. The neighbors above were quiet for the moment. Probably resting after having rather vocal sex all night that kept him up; partially from frustration that he wasn't experiencing the same thing. That must have been a normal occurrence because Sydney slept through it.

Lorelei started whimpering in the other room. Adrian knew that if he didn't get to her, it would turn into a very angry cry. He kissed Sydney's forehead and tried to get out from underneath her without waking her, but was unsuccessful.

She sat up, pulling the blanket with her to cover her chest.

"I don't understand why you do that. I know what your boobs look like." He climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants.

"Well, it's kind of cold, for one thing. And for another, there is a time for my boobs and right now isn't that time."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her. "I'll be right back."

She watched him walk out of the room to get his daughter calmed down. She got up and pulled on her clothes.

Adrian came in with Lorelei on his shoulder. "Can we have that conversation?"

"What conversation?" She kissed the back of the baby's head and walked around him.

"The one where we discuss when the way we please each other turns into actual sex."

She sat on the couch with a heavy sigh. "I don't know yet."

"And why not?"

"Because then it gets even more serious. And it scares me."

He sat beside her. "Why would it scare you?"

She smoothed a hand down the back of Lorelei's head. "I don't want any babies, but her. And I know that there are things we can do to prevent it, but I'm not even ready to think about that right now. I like what we are and I like what we do."

"But you have to know…" He shook his head. "Never mind."

"I understand what you're going through. But what we do is enough for me. And if you love me, you'll be okay with that."

He stood and started pacing.

"I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"Is that going to be about the time you decide you're ready to marry me?"

She stood suddenly and walked into the kitchen. "I don't need you putting pressure on me, Adrian." She said as she went back to washing the dishes.

"I was trying to make a joke."

"You failed." She snapped.

"God, are you PMSing or something?"

She rounded. "I can't believe you just said that. It's not about PMS. And how dare you throw my insecurities at me like that! I want to marry you. I _want_ to have sex with you. But not yet. Not when I'm still trying to find out who_ I _am. On my own. I can't afford to muddle that planning a wedding and thinking about the next time you're here so we can make love. I'm comfortable. I'm content. And I would really appreciate it if you would be too."

He walked away and put Lorelei in her bed. "I'm sorry, Sydney." He walked toward her. "Just because we get engaged wouldn't mean we needed to plan the wedding."

"I know."

"As to the sex and the babies…well, I think we can discuss that further at a later date. I shouldn't have brought it up. I know how much you've already given me. And I love you. All of you." He wrapped his arms around her. "Please don't hate me, baby."

"Oh, I don't." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I could never hate you. You're maddening and frustrating, but I couldn't hate you even if I tried."


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's note: Enjoy the fluff. It won't last long._

_Also, I started a new story titled The Dullest Knife. It is a Victorian AU featuring a marriage of necessity (one of my favorite romance novel plots) between two unlikely characters. I hope you'll go check it out. _

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Three

Adrian paced his apartment as he listened to his father tell him all the reasons he had better be at Court for Christmas. He was repeating himself. It was getting annoying and pushing Adrian to make sure he definitely _didn't_ show his face at Court until after the holidays.

"And if I see you with that brat in public, I will not be happy." Nathan finally said.

"I was wondering when you were going to bring Lorelei up." Adrian sighed. "If I want to spend time with my daughter, I will. This is my life. She's part of it. Don't acknowledge her, that's fine. But I will. Because I love her. And anyway, I would much rather spend Christmas with my girlfriend, doing what we want to do, than to be paraded around by you and the rest of the Ivashkovs as the next great thing. I'm not like any of you. And I just want to live my life."

"Girlfriend?" Nathan asked. "Since when do you have a girlfriend? It's a human, isn't it? You've been corrupted."

"Yeah, she's a human. Do you have a problem with that?"

"It's that Alchemist girl, isn't it?"

"She's not an Alchemist anymore." Adrian pointed out. "And I love her. One day I plan on marrying her. And I'm an adult. You can't do anything about it."

"I can cut you off." His father threatened.

"You'd never completely cut me off." Adrian said confidently. "Mom would never forgive you. If I know anything, I know you love Mom and me. And even if you love power over us, you love having us to show. Right now, since Mom us locked away, you have to have me to save face. So maybe I'll make an appearance for your sake, but I won't stay long. There are so many other places I'd rather be."

He hung up before he got any angrier. He walked back into the spare bedroom he designated as his studio for most of his painting. Sometimes he moved depending on the light, but he liked it best here. He stood in front of his canvas and stared at the painting he started. As he went back to work, his phone rang. He prayed it wasn't his father again. But when he saw the readout said Rose, he was relieved.

"Hi." He said with a smile.

"Hey, Adrian. How's it going?"

"Other than fighting with my dad, everything's going pretty good. How are things in your part of the world?"

"Pretty good here. Um, the reason I'm calling is that, well, my mom will be in town for the holidays and she wants to spend some time with Rory."

"That's fine. If she wants that, she should have the chance. Unlike my father who doesn't want to have anything to do with her."

"It really sucks. How could someone deny their own flesh and blood?"

"My dad's an asshat. Anyway, yeah, it's cool if your mom wants to spend time with her."

"I was just worried because we kind of didn't really discuss how Christmas was going to go."

"Sydney has to work. Dad wants me to make an appearance at a few of the big parties. I guess I could come and be around and maybe, if it's cool with you, bring her with me to Sydney's for a few days. We'll celebrate Christmas later."

She paused to think about it a moment and then said, "That can work."

"I mean, I did have her for Thanksgiving, so you should get to spend Christmas with her."

"We should actually discuss how all those things are going to work and maybe write it down. I don't know. Whatever you want, Adrian."

"She's your kid, too, Rose. And when she's in school, it will be easier to just switch off holidays and weekends when we can."

"Don't you plan to move closer to Court when you're done with school?" She asked.

"That's the plan. Kind of. Sydney and I have talked about me moving in with her until she's done with school. Of course that puts me farther from Rory."

"You'll think of something. I know you will. At least you want to be part of her life. I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for that."

Adrian's heart warmed. "You don't have to thank me. I want to be more than just a bank account to her. I love her." He paused. "So has she done any more crawling?"

Rose sighed, "No, just mostly rolling over. She gets up on her hands and knees, but no more crawling."

"It'll happen sooner than we want. And then she'll be walking and talking and before we know it, she's an adult and we're old."

Rose laughed, "As long as I can still stake Strigoi, I'll never be old."

"Good way to be. So what's Rory doing now?"

"She's taking a nap."

"Give her an extra kiss for me."

"I will." She assured him. "You take care of yourself until we see you."

"You, too, Rose."

After he hung up, he looked at the canvas a little longer and then at the clock. He should probably get some sleep. This painting still had a couple more days until it was due. It would be finished later. He climbed into bed and called up his magic.

Sydney smiled when she saw him in her bedroom. "Is this your favorite place or something?"

Adrian smirked and backed her up towards the bed. "Of course it is." He gently grabbed her face and placed kisses all over it, saving her lips for last.

"Is something wrong?" She sat down on the bed and pulled him beside her.

"Just my dad being his usual self. He's ordering me to be at Court for Christmas." He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "And Rose's mom wants to spend time with Rory when she's there. So I won't be able to bring her here until after. But it's only fair that Rose and Dimitri get Christmas because we got her for Thanksgiving."

"Yeah." She wrapped an arm around his waist. "So you'll be there over Christmas?"

"I don't have to be. If you want me here with you, I will be. My dad doesn't have a hold on me. I'd rather be with you than kiss ass to all the Royals at Court anyway."

"I don't care. I'll be working." She smiled and kissed him hard. "I volunteered to work Christmas Eve and Day so that some of the others could go away. I could use the money anyway. I think something is starting to go out in my car and I need tools to actually check."

"Is that what you want for Christmas?" He teased.

"I thought you would get me jewelry." She returned. "Diamonds and rubies and emeralds."

He kissed her. "You aren't the type to wear a bunch of jewelry."

She smiled. "But if it was something from you, I'd wear it all the time."

He smiled and kissed her, reclining her on the bed. They kissed lazily for a long time. Sydney combed her fingers through Adrian's hair and smiled against his lips.

"What?" He asked. Their lips brushed and it made him want to kiss her more.

"Just remembering some things."

He grinned and kissed her some more. "Miss I'm-a-Quick-Study."

She laughed and rolled him onto his back. "Yes. A very quick study, if you hadn't noticed."

"Oh, I noticed. That blow job you gave me still has me reeling." He pulled her down for yet another kiss. He gave a resigned sigh. "I should get some sleep. It's pretty late. I have classes."

"You'll see me in a few weeks." She brushed her fingers over his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, baby."

They shared another kiss and then he let the dream dissolve. He rolled over in his bed and fell asleep thinking about Sydney.

* * *

Adrian walked into the apartment Rose and Dimitri shared. Lorelei saw him and let out a happy squeal. She squirmed in Dimitri's arms.

"Hello, sweet baby!" He tickled her cheek. "Are you being a good girl?"

"She just woke up from her nap, so she is very good right now. Rose is making her something to eat. Here." He passed the baby over.

"You are getting so big!" Adrian gushed. He kissed her. "Oh, I missed you. Sydney can't wait to see you next week."

Lorelei smiled and started babbling, looking him in the eyes as though she was telling him about all that had happened since they saw each other last. She finally stopped with a big laugh and rested her head on her father's chest.

"Hello, Adrian." Rose said as she walked into the room. "She looks thoroughly happy now." She tickled her baby's neck. "She missed Daddy. Didn't you?" She smiled. "Would you like to feed her?"

"Sure, if you don't mind."

"Nah. Come on. We have plenty of big people food, too, if you're hungry." She said with a laugh as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Starved, actually. I came right over as soon as I got in. Left right after my last class. I was just so excited to see my little girl." He kissed her again and then strapped her into her high chair. "So is your mom here yet?"

"Yeah. There are a lot of meetings and things she has to do first." Rose handed him a bowl for Lorelei. "What would you like?"

"You don't have to make anything, Rose." Adrian said. "I'll be fine."

"No, I'll make you something." She started gathering ingredients for grilled cheese.

The baby opened her mouth in anticipation of the food in front of her.

"Are you hungry or something, baby?" He chuckled and put a spoonful of mush in her mouth. "Yummy."

She smiled and opened her mouth again.

"She's become a big eater." Dimitri said, joining Rose at the stove. "Did Rose tell you she weighs sixteen pounds now?"

"Sixteen pounds! Good job, little one." Adrian said as he fed her another bite.

"She is growing so much. And Papochka is proud of her. Right, Sasha?"

Lorelei laughed.

Adrian bristled. He was used to Dimitri and was mostly over the heartbreak, but the way he called their daughter Sasha annoyed him. Mostly for no reason. Even Rose called her Rory. Why couldn't he do it too?

"All gone." Adrian said as he put the empty bowl on the table.

Lorelei opened her mouth again and pounded her hands on the tray.

"She'll drink a bottle now." Rose said, pointing to the cabinet that held the formula. "Her bottle is in the fridge."

"Let me make it." Dimitri went about the task as Rose slid a grilled cheese sandwich to Adrian.

"Bon appétit." She said.

"Thanks. You didn't need to do that." He took a bit anyway. "Prefect."

Dimitri handed Lorelei her bottle and she looked at it a moment. "You know you can hold it, dushen'ka. Just try."

She stared at it and then reached out. She knocked it over. Dimitri patiently sat it back up in front of her. She knocked it over again. On the third attempt, she actually managed to grab it and all three adults cheered for her. She smiled at them and then attempted lifting it. She dropped it again.

"Okay, Papochka will hold you this time." Dimitri said. Adrian could tell it wasn't much of an imposition.

"You have to go soon." Rose pointed out as she sat a plate in front of him.

"I won't be late, Roza."

"You better not be, Comrade. My mom will be there. She's still not sure about need to make a good impression."

"I will be on my best behavior for your mother."

She smiled fondly at him. "You're always on your best behavior." She looked around. "Does anyone need anything else?"

"I'm fine." Adrian said. His phone went off. He looked at the screen. "My dad is summoning me."

"You should bring Rory." Rose said with a sly grin.

"I wouldn't make it past the front door." He chuckled. "I should do it anyway."

"Yes, do it." Dimitri lifted her up. "Want to be shown off, Sasha?"

She laughed.

Adrian grinned. "Okay, I think I will. If you're really sure. I mean, your mom is in town."

"She has a bunch of stuff to do before she can come over anyway. All of the guardians are being enlisted for the big Christmas bash. Except for me. I get to keep my eye on the queen alone."

"I guess it pays to be the queen's best friend, huh?" Adrian reached for Lorelei. "Come to Daddy, baby girl. We'll see what happens."

A few minutes later, armed with a diaper bag, Adrian and Lorelei were headed to the mansion where his father lived. The baby babbled the entire way, laughing at her own unintelligible jokes. She thought she was the funniest person alive. Just like her father.

As predicted, Nathan met them in the foyer and wouldn't let them go any farther. "Why is that brat with you?"

"Because I haven't seen her in weeks and I wanted to spend a bit of time with her. And I thought you'd like to finally meet her."

"I don't associate with dhampirs unless they are protecting me. And as she is an infant, I don't see that as a possibility."

Adrian said nothing, just fussed over the baby in the stroller.

"Why didn't you come see me when you arrived?"

"Like I said, I wanted to see my daughter. And I can't stay long. I need to go see Jill."

"Ah, yes, the girl you're _bonded_ to." He said, his voice full of disdain. "Well, I won't keep you." He made to head back towards his study.

"What do you want from me, Dad?" Adrian asked desperately.

"Give up this notion that we're all equal. We're not. We're Ivashkovs. We're Royal. You need to have more respect for your name than _that_." He waved his hand vaguely toward the stroller.

"_That_ is my daughter. And I love her. And I gave her _our_ name because she deserves it." He shook his head. "Everything happened just as I thought it would." He turned the stroller and headed back out the door. Nathan didn't even try to stop him.

Lorelei was quiet as her father pushed her around Court, taking in the sights as he made his way to see Jill.

The door opened before he could knock. His friend smiled kindly at him before she kneeled down in front of Lorelei. "Hello, there. Remember me?"

The baby let out a happy sound and leaned forward. Jill took her out and led them inside.

"You can't just rush out the door, Jill." Eddie said casually as they walked into the living room.

"I knew who it was. And I didn't see you jumping up to stop me." She challenged playfully.

He grinned. "I'm off duty."

"Gee thanks. And here I thought you loved me."

He shrugged. "I didn't want to intrude."

Adrian sat heavily on a chair. "You aren't one of the guardians enlisted for the big party?"

Eddie shook his head. "I'm lucky to be able to just shadow my girlfriend all night."

"They don't think that's a conflict of interest?"

"I threw a fit worthy of a princess." Jill explained with a grin. "And they wouldn't have known anything about it if Eddie didn't spend every off-duty moment with me."

"I can't help it. Some guys play video games to relax. This guy wants to spend time with his girl." He leaned over. "And how are you, Lorelei?"

The baby gave him a critical look before she smiled at him.

"What was that look for?" Eddie smiled and tickled her cheek. "She looks so much like Rose, it's frightening."

"Yeah." Adrian chuckled. He looked to Jill. "Did you see?"

She nodded.

"He's such a jerk." He sighed. He held out his hand. "Let me take some of that away."

She slipped her hand into his and let out a relieved breath when she felt lighter. "I wouldn't worry too much about Dimitri calling her Sasha. It's just his pet name. I'm sure he gets annoyed at some of the things you do too."

Adrian glared at her playfully. "Are you spying on me?"

"I was anxious for you to come see me."

"Well, here I am. I can't stay too long, though. Janine Hathaway is in town." He said the last dramatically.

"I'm glad she's finally warming up." Eddie said. "Rose has been a little stressed about it. At least her dad accepted her right off."

Adrian nodded. "_Some_ of the Moroi don't care."

"It helps that Abe Mazur isn't a Royal." Jill pointed out. "Oh, before I forget, I have something for Sydney." She handed the baby to Eddie and hurried out of the room.

"How are things going?" Adrian asked.

Eddie grinned. "Her stepdad doesn't like me. But her mom seems to. So all good on that front."

"And with you and Jill?"

"I don't kiss and tell." He joked.

Adrian laughed. Then he sobered and looked at Eddie very seriously. "Just be careful, okay? She's my best friend, man."

"I know."

Jill returned then with a wrapped package. "I know you'll see her before me. I've been learning how to knit. I hope she likes it."

"I'm sure she will." He looked at his watch as he took the present.

"I know you need to go." She said with a resigned sigh.

"Hey, cut that out, Jailbait. You'll see me plenty this week. And if your mom would let me, I'd take you with me to Pittsburg and set you up in a hotel for a few days."

"That would be fantastic. If only." She rolled her eyes. "Lissa probably would be the one to say no, though."

"We'll see. Everyone deserves a vacation." Adrian pulled her to her feet and into a tight hug. "I'll see you soon."

She kissed his cheek. "No soon enough. I miss you, Adrian."

"I know, kid. We'll make time together while I'm here." He pulled away. "How about tomorrow? We'll hang out, watch a couple movies. You can even stay with me if it's fine with your folks."

She smiled. "That would be great."

"Don't bring the boyfriend. This is just an us day. No offense, Eddie."

"I'll still be around to guard the apartment." Eddie pointed out. He stood and handed the baby to him. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Adrian and Lorelei left, both in much happier spirits.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's note: Thank for reading, my lovelies. You should enjoy the content of this chapter. I hope so, anyway. Please let me know what you think. And if you haven't yet, go read _**The Dullest Knife**_. I don't think you'll be disappointed._

_Happy reading!_

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Guess who's here to see her favorite stepmother?" Adrian said as he walked into the coffee shop.

"Just how many more are there?" Sydney said with a smirk.

"I walked in with a baby. I could have half the girls in this place. And that's just here."

"And yet, you only have me." She kissed them both and then pointed them to a table. "I've only got about a half hour left. You want a smoothie?"

"Sure. And a spoon. I'll share with Rory."

"No problem."

Adrian played patty cake and sang nursery rhymes to Lorelei as they waited. He watched Sydney, and all the other females in the place, while they waited.

His girlfriend came over and leaned close. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to have to punish you later."

He grinned. "Well, I've been a really bad boy, Sydney. I deserve punishment." He looked down. "I wish your uniform was a little lower cut."

She straightened up. "Drink your smoothie. I have a few more things to do."

"Want some, baby girl?" He picked up the spoon and took off the lid. He fed the baby some of the drink.

She made a face as she moved it around in her mouth. She smiled and opened her mouth for more. Adrian smiled and fed her again as he took a drink on his own.

"Is this a good dinner? Hm? We'll have some chicken when we get to Sydney's."

Lorelei made a happy sound and opened her mouth for more.

"More?" He fed her again. "That's a word you can learn. More. And Dada. And Mama and Papochka. And Sydney." He took a sip. "And all manner of other words. You'll learn them, won't you, baby girl? You'll be smart like your mom."

He chattered to her almost nonstop as all the women drooled. Sydney watched with a smug smile on her lips. Yeah, that handsome man and adorable baby were hers.

She clocked out and took off her apron. She counted her drawer quickly, but efficiently. When she stepped out of the back, she saw a group of teenage girls gathered around her boyfriend, gushing over the baby and giggling like fools.

Sydney walked over and Adrian locked eyes with her. His demeanor changed. The cockiness went away replaced by the softness he always had when he looked at his girlfriend. He stood and traced his finger down her cheek. "Hi, there."

All the girls groaned and walked away.

She smiled and pushed herself up on her toes to kiss him. "Let's get out of here."

"Sounds like a good plan."

Sydney took Lorelei from her father and hugged her close. "Hello, Lorelei!"

The baby laughed and rested her head on the woman's chest. She yawned hugely.

"Are you sleepy? Did Daddy keep you awake all day?" She kissed the top of the girl's head. "We'll get you to bed when we get home. Maybe you'll sleep for a few hours and Daddy and I can have some time to get reacquainted. And then I'll play with you for the rest of the night." She kissed the baby again.

Lorelei babbled as they walked along in the late December afternoon. Sydney pulled her coat tighter around herself and the baby when she felt her start to shiver. "Almost there, sweetheart. Your daddy should have brought the car to the coffee shop."

"It's just down the block."

After a few more feet, he opened the front door to her building and ushered them inside. Sydney brushed the few flecks of snow that had started to fall off herself and Lorelei. "Home! It always feels more like home when you're here. It's just an apartment when I'm alone."

Adrian unlocked the door and noticed his daughter had grown quiet. He looked down. "She's asleep."

Sydney smiled and carried her toward the bed. She took the blanket Adrian gave her and spread it over her. Lorelei smiled in her sleep and turned her head away. She let out a content sigh.

Adrian kissed Sydney hard on the mouth. He lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom where he laid her out on the bed. He kicked off his shoes as he covered her body with his own.

She sighed into his mouth. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too." He tugged at her clothes, desperate to remove them. "You smell like coffee." He said against her neck.

"Is that a good thing?" She unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down his hips.  
"A very good thing." He sucked on her neck.

She sighed. "Should I feel guilty about being happy that Rory's asleep?"

"No." He panted. "I kept her up as much as possible so that I could do this with you."

She flipped him onto his back. "And not be frustrated all evening?"

"Exactly. It's a good thing she's not fussy when she's sleepy."

"Okay, no more talk of the baby right now." She leaned down and kissed his jaw. "You are so beautiful, Adrian."

"Don't I know it."

She laughed and took control of his mouth. "I love you."

"And I love you." He flipped her onto her back. "My turn again."

Sydney spread her arms out to the side as Adrian made a slow journey over every inch of her body. She writhed beneath him, arching up to meet his mouth with her skin. She tangled her fingers in his hair and scratched her fingernails over his back. He groaned and stuck his tongue out to lick a trail back up her body. He kissed her lazily. She pushed him onto his back once more.

"What would you like?" She asked, kissing him softly.

"Just kiss me." He took her hand and wrapped it around his erection. He guided her hand up and down a few times and then he slipped his hand around her back. He squeezed her bottom. "You're wonderful."

"I do my best." She moved down his body, dropping kisses on his chest and stomach. She looked up at him and smiled. "How about this?" She licked him base to tip.

Adrian laughed and looked up at the ceiling. "Oh, Sydney, baby, you are the best."

She grinned before she closed her mouth around him and moved it up and down, taking in more of him with each dip.

He tangled his fingers in her hair and relaxed. He whispered her name like a prayer. She could feel the tension growing. She met his eyes. She removed her mouth and finished the job with her hand.

She climbed back up beside him and slipped her hand into his. "How was that?" she asked uncertainly.

He smiled and brought her hand to his lips. "It was fantastic." He reached down and picked up a shirt to clean off his stomach.

She rolled into him and kissed his cheek. "Me next."

"You next? And what would you like, baby?" He slipped his hand over her hip and to her bottom, squeezing it. "I have an idea." He grabbed her hips and tugged on them. "Come here."

"What are you doing?"

"Letting you take charge, baby." He pulled her farther up his torso, pausing at his chest.

She gasped. "Adrian."

"It's no different than anything else I've ever done. But you get to take charge this way."

"Are you sure about this?" She asked as he tugged on her hips again.

"Just get up here already. I want to reciprocate."

"I love when you use big words." She sighed and lowered herself to his mouth. "Oh." She gasped.

She rocked her hips as his tongue went to work on her. His hands held her hips. She put hers on top of his, but lost her balance as a wave of pleasure went through her. She threw one hand out to catch herself against the wall. She was sure the neighbors heard her moans and cries as she grew closer.

"Adrian." She moaned as she came. She braced herself against the wall as he brought her through it. She panted and collapsed beside him, her feet against the wall.

"Did you like that, baby?" Adrian crooned. He reached out and brought her foot across his chest and started massaging it.

"Nice." Sydney panted. It was all she could manage at the moment.

He chuckled. "Are you hungry? Because I'm hungry. I could go for pizza."

"Sounds good."

He chuckled and reached for his pants on the floor. "I'll call. You relax."

As he ordered, she moved to the top of the bed and rested her head on his chest. He hung up and put the phone on the nightstand. "I love you."

"I love you too." She kissed him. "Do you really like doing that?" She asked, drawing circles on his chest.

"It's fun. I like the sounds you make. I like the way you taste." He kissed her softly. "I just really like giving you pleasure."

"And I like getting it."

Lorelei started babbling in the other room. Adrian smiled and kissed her once more before he rolled out of bed. He pulled on his pants as he walked out of the bedroom. "Daddy's coming, Rory."

Sydney pulled on a robe and followed. She walked to the tree in the corner. "Did Rose get the present I sent? The mobile?"

"She did. She loved it. Dimitri thought it was cute. Rory loved it." He walked over. "Didn't you, baby girl?"

"Well, someone special told me she liked elephants." Sydney kissed Rory's cheek.

"She goes wild over elephants."

She handed over a wrapped package. "Well, this goes with it. Merry Christmas, Lorelei."

"Another present from Sydney? You're making out like a bandit." Adrian took the present and sat with her on the couch. He opened the gift to find a blanket covered in different animals.

"There's an elephant or two in there. And other animals in case she changes her mind."

"What do we say, Rory? Thank you. Can you say, 'Thank you, Sydney!'"

Sydney kissed her. "You're welcome, sweet girl."

"You want your presents?"

"You didn't have to." She demurred.

"Bullshit." He handed over the baby and the blanket and walked toward the tree where he'd stashed her gifts earlier. "Okay, this one is from Jill."

"What's in the big one?" She asked as she took the small package.

He took Lorelei. "You'll get that next."

She opened Jill's present and smiled. "She told me she was learning to knit." She wrapped the scarf around her neck. "I'll have to tell her I love it. Now give me the big one."

"I'll give you a big one." He leaned in and kissed her.

She laughed. "I already got that." She spread out the baby's new blanket and laid her on it, handing her all her favorite toys.

He chuckled and retrieved the big present. "This is the practical gift. The other one is a little more frivolous."

"I'm glad." She tore into the wrapping paper. "A tool set?" She said with a grin.

"You said you wanted to be able to check out your car, but you didn't have the tools. So I got them for you."

"Thank you." She said and leaned in for another kiss. "Want one of yours?"

"Yes, please." He clapped his hands eagerly.

Sydney handed over a package and watched him anxiously as he opened it. Adrian found a box and opened it. Inside the box was a series of framed photos of Sydney. He smiled and looked through them several times. "These are amazing, baby."

"Thank you. I have a friend who's learning photography. She needed a subject, so I volunteered. There's a disc with more if you want more prints."

"These are fantastic, Sage." He lifted up one of her with a bouquet of flowers. "I think this one's my favorite."

"That may change." She smirked and retrieved another gift from under the tree.

Adrian tore into the package and took out a poster. He gave an appreciative moan. "Oh, baby." He opened up the poster a little more. "My girlfriend the pin-up girl. This is hot!"

"That one has to go in your bedroom, away from prying eyes."

"It'll go above my bed." He tore his eyes away from the poster. "Thank you, baby." He leaned in and kissed her hard.

Lorelei laughed from the floor. She had pushed herself up on her hands and knees. She lifted a hand and moved it forward.

"I need my phone." He ran from the room.

Just then the pizza arrived. Adrian threw Sydney his wallet as he started filming Lorelei. She made tentative movements across the floor.

"Thank you. Happy holidays." Sydney said as she closed the door.

"You too, ma'am." He grinned and turned away.

"Come look, Sydney." Adrian called excitedly.

Lorelei crawled slowly around the living room. She laughed at her progress. She stopped and looked up at her father. She grinned and then rolled onto her back, putting her toes in her mouth.

"I guess she's done." He turned off his camera and sent the video to Rose. "Wow."

"Yeah, wow." Sydney agreed. She held up the box. "Would you like wine with your pizza?"

"You have wine?"

"Yeah, another Christmas present for you. I went to a wine tasting and picked one out." She walked toward the kitchen. "It's a white, so I put it in the refrigerator. Is that okay?"

"That's fine, yeah." He dragged Lorelei's high chair toward the table and strapped her in. "You didn't need to get wine."

"Yes, I did. For you. Because I know you like to drink to relax. And I like when I can be with you while you do it. You pace yourself with me."

"I only drink with you around for that reason, actually." He sat plates on the table and then took out the baby food. He sat down to feed Lorelei. "I have one more present for you."

"The frivolous one?"

"Yeah. You want it?"

"Sure. Can I just get it?"

"Fine by me."

She squealed and ran toward the tree. She sat down at the table with the box and pulled at the tape eagerly. She took away the top and peeled away the tissue paper. Inside she found a red bra with black lace overlay. There was a matching pair of panties underneath.

She grinned. "This is really cute."

"Will you wear that for me?"

"Right now?"

"That would be great." He said excitedly.

She smirked and retreated into the bedroom for a moment. She returned still wrapped in her robe, but with it open slightly.

Adrian growled. "Hot."

"Thanks." She closed the robe.

"Aw, man." He put a slice of pizza on a plate for her and filled a glass of wine for her.

"I'll take it off once Rory's back to sleep." She took a sip of the wine. "Is this good?"

"It's great. Good choice, baby." He lifted his glass. "Merry Christmas. Too bad we couldn't spend the actual holiday together."

"Next year, babe." She clinked her glass with his. "Merry Christmas."

As she took a bite from her pizza, Adrian reached across and pulled open the top of her robe. "Better."

She smiled and stood up to remove the robe. "And how is that?"

"Well, if Rory doesn't go back to sleep soon, I'm going to have to take a trip to the other room."

"You'll be fine, sweetheart." She leaned forward, giving him a lovely view of her cleavage. "So tell me what else you got for Christmas."

It took him a few moments to focus.

Sydney cleared her throat. "Did you forget where my eyes are?"

"No, but your boobs are fantastic in that bra."

She looked down. "Yeah, they're nice. How did you even know my size?"

"I've touched you enough to know what size you are." He smirked.

She blushed and leaned back. "You're great at that."

"Don't blush. You're amazing, baby." He rested a hand on her knee for the rest of the evening, taking in every inch of her hungrily as they talked.


	25. Chapter 25

_Author's note: I have decided this is a good place to end. Please let me know what you think._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Are you sure you can't just come for a couple hours? It's my birthday." Sydney whined. She'd been feeling awfully lonely lately. Adrian hadn't been able to visit since the week after Christmas.

"I'll try to move some things around this weekend, baby, but I can't make any promises. I've got deadlines." He said forlornly. "I haven't even been able to see Rory."

She sighed. "Okay."

"I'll make it up to you." He promised.

"Okay. Look, I have to go, babe. I have to get to work."

"Don't be mad, Sydney."

"I'm not mad. I just need to go or I'll be late." She paused. "Adrian, I love you."

"And I love you, Sage. Take care of yourself."

As she worked, she thought about the conversation. She had sounded really selfish. But it was the middle of February. She had gone almost two months without seeing him. And Lorelei. She missed that little girl just as much. Rose sent her updates with as much regularity as she sent them to Adrian.

Near the end of her shift, a delivery van pulled up outside and a man jumped out with a vase of blue hydrangeas. He walked in and looked at his clipboard. "I'm looking for Sydney."

Sadie pushed Sydney forward. "This is her."

The delivery man smiled and handed her the vase. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." She pressed her nose into the bouquet.

"What's the card say?" Her friend asked.

Sydney took the card off the holder and read. "'To our favorite birthday girl. Love Adrian and Lorelei.'" She smiled and pressed her nose into the flowers again. "He knows how to make it up to me." She brought the flowers into the back room and finished the last hour of her shift.

Back in her apartment, she proudly sat the flowers in the middle of her small dining table. Her phone rang as she headed to her room to change.

"I didn't expect you to send me flowers." She told Adrian when she answered.

"You deserve them." He said on the other end.

"Well, thank you." Sydney said, leaning in and smelling the bouquet for the thousandth time.

"I'm glad you like them. Rory picked them. She saw them and clear-as-day said 'Sydney!' So we just had to get them."

"She really said 'Sydney' or were you just imagining it?" She teased.

He chuckled. "I'm pretty sure she said it. She says 'Syd' at least. And right now she's telling you 'happy birthday.'"

"Tell her thank you." Sydney sighed. "I wish you were here. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

There was a knock on the door just then.

"You should answer that." Adrian said.

"You heard the knock?"

"Just answer the door, baby." He ordered playfully.

She rolled her eyes and opened the front door. She almost dropped her phone when she saw her boyfriend standing on the other side. He had his phone in one hand and Lorelei wrapped around his side.

The baby gave a happy squeal when she saw the woman and held out her arms for Sydney. She took Lorelei from her father and pressed her nose into her dark locks.

"Hi, Rory. I missed you so much."

"Syd." She sighed.

"Yeah, it's me." She pulled Adrian inside and put her hand on the back of his head. "I didn't think you could make it." She pulled him to her for a long kiss.

He wrapped his arms around her. "You should know by now that I'm not that cruel." He kissed her again.

"Dada!" Lorelei exclaimed, holding her arms out to him.

"Had enough of me already?" Sydney teased as she handed the girl to her father.

"Let's show Sydney what you learned." He put the baby on the floor and helped her to stand. He took her hands and helped her walk a few steps to the couch. Once there, he placed her hands on the cushions so that she held on.

She looked up and smiled with her gaping teeth. She started babbling happily as she moved down the length of the sofa.

"Look at you go." Sydney said.

"She'll be running before we know it." Adrian said nostalgically.

"Oh, she'll be okay. Or I should say you will." She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're both here." She pressed her eyes into his neck.

"Me too, baby." He kissed her. "I love you. Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

Lorelei cruised over to them and dropped to the floor. She crawled the last few feet and pulled herself up on Adrian's leg.

"You want me to make you something for supper or do you want to go out?" Adrian asked as he picked his daughter up.

"If you're cooking, we'll have to go shopping. I only have ingredients for single meals. And frozen things. I don't feel like eating frozen food for my birthday if I don't have to."

"Then let's head to the store."

"Let me change first." She kissed them both once more and hurried out of the room.

* * *

Adrian drove to the grocery store. Lorelei chattered in the back the whole way.

"She's doing that a lot more now. Rose sent me a video of her and Dimitri and she is telling him some big story about 'Mama' and 'Papo,' that's what she calls him. It's so cute. And you heard 'Dada' and 'Syd.' Rose and Dimitri have pictures of us they show her every day. That's pretty much all she knows right now. But she can shake her head and she pushed things away when she doesn't like them." He shook his head. "It's amazing, Sage."

She squeezed his hand. "She's getting so big."

He kissed her knuckles. "She is." He pulled into a parking spot. "So what am I cooking?"

"Lasagna?"

"I can do lasagna. And a nice salad. You want cake or pie?"

"I don't know. What does Rory want?" She leaned close to the baby in the cart. "What would you like? Cake?"

She gave a big smile.

"I think cake, then. Birthday pie is just weird, isn't it?" She ran a hand over her hair and she laughed.

They gathered ingredients. Adrian picked out some extra things for the rest of the weekend as well. He looked over the cart. "Anything else?"

She bit her lip and then nodded. "Follow me." She walked to the far end of the store where there were a few first aid and personal supplies. Sydney stopped in front of a display of condoms. "I don't know how to shop for these things."

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "Sydney, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Well, if you're up for it. I know with Rory it may be a little hard to work it around, but—"

He grabbed her shoulders and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. He picked up a large box and threw it in with the rest.

"A little eager there, don't you think?" She teased as they walked to the checkout.

He smirked. "Just want to be prepared. Isn't that the boy scout motto?"

She playfully swatted his arm. "You were never a boy scout."

He rubbed her back. "I like having plenty around. You really never know."

"I started taking birth control. I just would rather be extra safe, you know?"

"I get it. Rory doesn't need a sibling any time soon. You and me, baby, we got this." He kissed her again before he started unloading the groceries.

Sydney stood at the front of the cart and entertained Lorelei.

"She's cute." The older woman standing behind her said.

"Thanks. Can you say thank you, Rory?"

She held up her hand and waved.

The woman laughed. "She looks like you."

Sydney grinned. "You think so? I think she looks like her birth mother. But thank you for the compliment."

"Are you adopting her?" She blushed. "Sorry, that's rude of me."

"No, it's fine." She pointed to the front of the line. "That handsome man over there is her father. I'm dating him."

"Well, congratulations. A handsome man and a beautiful baby all in one go. You're a lucky woman."

It was Sydney's turn to blush. "Well, thank you. I think we're all pretty lucky. Aren't we, baby girl?" She kissed Lorelei.

"Sage." Adrian called, gently tugging on the cart. "Other people need to buy things."

"It was nice talking to you."

"You too." The woman said as she put her things on the counter.

"Do you think Rory looks like me?" Sydney asked as they made their way outside.

Adrian looked between his girlfriend and daughter. "Maybe a little. Around the eyes."

"The lady I was talking to said she saw a resemblance." Sydney said as she helped Adrian unload the groceries. "Rory is just so cute."

"She is. She gets it from me." He grinned.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

Sydney tried to help Adrian cook, but he kicked her out of the kitchen. "Play with the baby."

"Well, I can't argue with that." She scooped Lorelei up off the floor and lifted her into the air. "Baby girl! Have I told you how much I love you today?" She kissed her face. "Show me how you can walk." She put the girl down and held her hands as she walked around the room.

"Do that for a while. You'll tire her out enough that we can have plenty of time alone to break into that box of condoms."

She smiled. "I like the sound of that." She looked down at Lorelei, who let go of one of her hands. "Look at you, Rory. You'll be walking on your own before you know it."

"Let's not talk about that." Adrian scolded playfully.

The girl laughed and dropped down to the floor. She crawled to her basket of toys and picked up a set of keys. They went immediately to her mouth.

Sydney sat down with her and Lorelei offered up the keys. "For me? Thank you." She took them and shook them just out of the baby's reach.

She laughed and reached up. "Syd!" she squealed.

The woman handed them back and then took out the stacking rings. "Look at this one. It's my favorite." She took them all off and then put the first back on.

Lorelei reached out and picked up the smallest ring and put it to her mouth. She watched Sydney as she put the rest of the rings on. She reached out with her own and hit the peg. She smiled at the noise the plastic pieces made as they met. She did it a bit more and laughed.

Sydney helped her put the ring on the top of the stack and she gave it a hard look. She pulled it off again and started the noise up again. She started singing a song to herself. Sydney kissed her and then left her to play for a while.

She walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Adrian from behind. "Hi there."

"Hi." He turned and kissed her cheek. "You are so hot when you play with her."

Sydney grinned. "I thought it was only guys who got hotter playing with a baby."

He shook his head. "It's a great turn-on for me that you love my daughter as much as you do." He kissed her. "I've got the lasagna in the oven." He pulled her back across the room.

Lorelei let out a happy coo when the pair sat down with her. She crawled toward her father and pulled herself onto her feet by grasping his shirt. "Dada!" She leaned forward.

Adrian wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, kissing her noisily. "Lorelei." He pushed a small lock of hair out of her face. "Lorelei Aleksandra. The most beautiful little girl on the planet." He kissed her once more.

She laughed and patted his cheek. She started babbling to him. After a bit, she wiggled out of his arms and lifted her hands up to Sydney. "Syd?"

"Rory." Her stepmother replied, pulling her across the small space and onto her lap. "Do you like Patty Cake?" She asked before she proceeded to say the nursery rhyme and clap along with her.

They played the game several more times. Adrian joined in. Sydney's thoughts went to a place that wasn't very wholesome, considering there was still a baby sitting on her lap. But the closeness to him and the prospect of what awaited them as soon as they were able to get his daughter to sleep was altogether alluring and frightening.

Adrian seemed to sense her emotions. He gave her a smoldering look that did nothing to make her feel any less awkward. He placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her. It was soft at first, but quickly became more heated. She wrapped an arm around Lorelei so she wouldn't tumble off her lap and grabbed the front of Adrian's shirt, moaning into his mouth.

He smiled against her lips and broke the kiss. "This isn't very appropriate viewing for a baby."

"I think it is a little. We're showing her how much we love each other. I'm certain Rose and Dimitri do the same quite often."

"Oh, they do. I've seen it. Once I was there and put Rory to bed and I came out to find them making out on the couch." He smirked and brushed another kiss across her lips. He stood when the timer went off in the kitchen. "I hope I've kept her awake enough this afternoon that she'll sleep for a couple of hours at least."

"Yes." Sydney looked down. "She's looking awfully tired." She strapped Lorelei into her high chair. "That smells amazing."

"Wait until you taste it. Rory can have some too. I'll just mash it up."

"Is Rose okay with that?"

"Yeah, she's been feeding her mashed potatoes and stuff."

Lorelei ended up getting as much food on her face and in her hair as in her stomach. In the end, they needed to hose her down before she even got in the bath for the night. She was so tired by the end of it that she didn't even want to play. She fussed and cried and reached for Adrian.

"Okay, we're done." He wrapped her in a big towel and held her close. "I sure do love you."

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "Dada."

"Yes, baby." He kissed her head.

She kept falling asleep as he dressed her. She took the bottle Sydney handed her once she laid down and sucked it down in her sleep.

Adrian pulled Sydney into his arms. "Time for us."

She smiled. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

He pressed a kiss to her lips. "You want to take a few minutes?"

"For what?"

"To get ready? Freshen up? Steel yourself for my massive manliness."

She threw her head back and laughed. "I don't need any of that." She stepped away and grabbed his hand.

He closed the door behind them most of the way, leaving a crack to hear through. Their lips met as they started to undress each other. Adrian backed her up to the bed. Sydney stepped away and pulled down the blanket. She lay down and looked up at him expectantly.

He grinned and stretched out on top of her. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am. I think it's time." She pulled his mouth to hers and they kissed for a long time as their hands explored familiar territory.

Adrian made a trail of hot kisses down her neck and across her shoulder. He made the return trip slowly, occasionally stopping to suck and nip at her skin. She writhed beneath him, pulling at him and whimpering.

"I'm ready." She said.

"Are you?" He took control of her mouth again and slipped his hand between her thighs. "Well, I guess you are."

She gasped. It had been so long since he had touched her. Anything could set her off, she was sure.

He kissed her once more and then rolled away. He opened the box of condoms and removed one.

As he opened it the package, she picked up the box and read, "'Ribbed for her pleasure.' Maybe."

He paused. "What?"

"Women don't always orgasm the first time, isn't that right?"

"Well, yes. But it can still feel good even if you don't." He finished rolling on the condom and leaned over her again. "And if it doesn't, tell me so I can try to fix it." He kissed her lazily.

She caressed his back and bottom and thighs as he rested between her legs. She sighed as he paused at her entrance.

"This might hurt." He warned.

"I know." She replied.

He clamped his mouth on hers once more and slid inside. She gasped and then relaxed. He remained still as they continued to kiss a while longer. He broke the kiss.

"Sydney, I don't know how long I'll last." He panted.

"As long as possible. I don't want my first time to be done in a matter of a few short seconds."

He brushed his lips over hers once more. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He lifted one of her legs up so that her foot lay flat on the mattress. She mirrored the motion with her other leg. "Move with me."

She nodded. It started out clumsily, and awkwardly. Adrian smiled and placed his hands on her hips to guide her. They were soon moving at a steady pace together.

She smiled up at him. "That feels good."

"For me too."

Sydney raised her hand and placed it on the back of his head. "Kiss me."

He complied, grabbing her other hand and threading their fingers together beside her head. He broke it with a strangled moan. "Sydney." He gasped.

"It's okay." She tangled her fingers in his hair.

He rested his forehead on hers let himself go. He slowed and then stilled. He slid his hand up her side, pausing to caress her breast, and then brought it to cup her cheek. He kissed her softly.

She smiled. "That was pretty good."

He chuckled and kissed her again. "We'll be great, baby." After another kiss, he rolled away.

She stared up at the ceiling and slipped her hand into his. "Was it everything you were expecting?"

"And more." He turned his head and watched her. "How do you feel?"

"Fine. A little weird." She rolled into his side. "It's been a good birthday."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Does it make up for me lying?"

She smiled. "A bit of misdirect for the sake of a surprise isn't a lie. Not really."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Good to know." He brushed hair out of her face. "Will you marry me?"

"One of these days."

"You won't answer me right now?"

"Of course not. I don't want Rory to ask us down the line how you proposed and have to make up something."

"We don't have to tell her or anyone that we were naked at the time." He argued, moving his hands over her body.

"Yes, well, Jill knows. Two people in a half truth is one thing. Add a third and that's where it gets complicated." She kissed him and then rested her head against his. "I'll marry you, but not yet. And I don't want to be engaged yet. Just be my boyfriend. Let's have our fun. I don't want to tie you down yet, Adrian. I love you. More than I can say."

"I love you, too, Sydney. You'll never know…" He smiled and kissed her. "Get some sleep, baby. You need it."

"Is that a promise?"

"You bet your sweet ass it is." He laughed as he pressed another kiss to her lips.

She laughed along with him. _One day we'll be married,_ she thought happily. _But we'll have plenty of fun until then._

The End

* * *

**_Author's note: So this is the end, but not entirely. I'll be starting a one shot series soon of some scenes that happen after this like the proposal and the wedding and maybe other babies. Definitely some sexy times! So keep your eyes out for that one._**


End file.
